A global coalition is lobbying states, including Rwanda, to endorse a proposed ‘Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty’ to considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming that is causing climate change and its effects such as severe floods, and prolonged drought. Rwanda is pushing for the adoption of a global treaty that is ambitious and considers the full lifecycle of plastics – from extraction to disposal – to get rid of plastic waste’s contribution to climate change. ALSO READ: Rwanda phasing out fossil fuel in irrigation The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is the mechanism the world needs to manage a global transition away from non-renewable energy sources such as coal, oil, petroleum products and non-renewable wastes. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty team has also lobbied the Rwandan government to join the movement and potentially become the first African country to join the coalition pledging to keep 1.5° alive by endorsing the Fossil Fuel Treaty. ALSO READ: Rwanda revises electrification plan to increase solar home systems “We are campaigning for a global mechanism to address the root cause of the climate crisis and the plastics crisis, which is fossil fuels. And despite the fact that there is a source of both these crises, they are completely absent from our global climate agreements. We want to fill this void and propose a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to have a just transition, for all, to renewable energy to have an end to fossil,” said Seble Samuel, the Head of Africa Campaigns and Advocacy at Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. She noted that fossil fuels have not powered the African continent arguing that despite decades of extraction, there are still 600 million people that live without access to electricity. This, she said, is happening on the continent with the largest renewable energy potential on earth. ALSO READ: Global warming: Is it time to phase out fossil fuels? Africa sits atop the largest renewable energy potential on earth — 39 per cent of the global share — and this potential is largely untapped. The continent leads the world in solar potential, holding 60 per cent of the best solar resources. Despite this potential, Africa currently has just 1% of the world’s installed solar capacity. “We want to harness this potential and have a transition to renewable energy for all. And we want champion countries like Rwanda who has been leading on multilateral environmental agreements to join us to the fossil fuel treaty call today,” she added. The Initiative wants commitments to limit proliferation of fossil fuels, saying the absence of such a commitment is an impediment to any significant progress on climate deals like the Paris agreement and the Kigali amendment to Montreal protocol signed in 2016, among others, according to Seble. In mid October 2021, on the day of the Kigali Amendment anniversary, Megumi Seki, the Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, a Nairobi, Kenya-based organisation whose mission is to facilitate and support the parties to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol and other stakeholders in implementing actions to heal and protect the ozone layer, urged the world to look to the continued leadership of Rwanda along with other parties to ensure that the Kigali Amendment will flourish to achieve all its objectives and benefits. Seki acknowledged and appreciated Rwanda for its leadership in pursuing energy efficiency. The Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015 that covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance, sets a benchmark for global climate action through its temperature goal. Despite this, many governments are still approving new coal, oil and gas projects — threatening chances of limiting warming to 1.5ºC, a goal set by the Agreement. On March 22, when Climate Ministers met in Denmark to set the course towards 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), Alex Rafalowicz, the Director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “COP28 set an expectation that the world would transition away from fossil fuels. ALSO READ: COP28: Climate experts question slow progress in adaptation talks “The Ministers meeting in Copenhagen has to pave the way for COP29 and work out how to turn those words into action. The future will be one free of fossil fuels and we need to develop a roadmap to get there as fast as possible and to kick those who want to drag us into the past out of the way. This year, we need bold leadership on accelerating away from these deadly fuels.” 60% of Rwanda’s energy to be powered by renewable resources by 2030 Jean Claude Mugiraneza, the acting Director General in charge of energy in the Ministry of Infrastructure, told The New Times that Rwanda’s energy mix is already predominantly renewable and the country is working hard to reduce diesel, petroleum and peat use. “Currently 52 per cent of our energy is renewable,” he said, adding that Rwanda aims to have 60 per cent of its energy come from renewable sources such as hydropower and solar by 2030. Currently, he said, 76 per cent of Rwandans have access to electricity. At 28th UN Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai in 2023, Rwanda joined countries with a pledge to triple the world’s installed renewable energy generation capacity, of which solar power is part, to at least 11,000 GW by 2030, taking into consideration different starting points and national circumstances. “Renewable energy will help mitigate climate change and ensure good health,” he noted. With e-mobility, Rwanda also aims to have 20 per cent of all buses transition to electric by 2030, which will result in an estimated reduction of 72,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Transitioning to electric motorcycles alone would save the Rwandan economy Rwf23 billion in fuel imports per year. The estimated cost of transitioning to e-mobility and the adoption of electric vehicles in Rwanda is $900 million in general. The government has revised the National Electrification Plan (NEP) to augment the number of households connected to the national grid and bolster off-grid solutions. Currently, 34.35 percent of all villages in the country are in off-grid zones equipped with solar home systems. Rwanda's investment in renewable energy is anticipated to reduce total emissions by 4.6 million tonnes, or 38 percent, by 2030. How the treaty can propel Africa’s renewable energy transition Coal, oil and gas, which are responsible for 86 per cent of carbon emissions released in the last decade, are fuelling climate catastrophe and economic collapse on the continent least responsible for the crisis according to the policy brief. The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that continent is losing between 5-15% of its annual GDP per capita growth due to climate change impacts. The majority of Africa’s planned fossil fuel production is destined for export to foreign markets, failing to fill the energy access gap on the continent. According to experts, international cooperation, through a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, can unlock the finance and technology essential for Africa to unleash its clean energy potential, light up the continent, and funnel this energy into improved development outcomes, economic growth, public health benefits and educational development. Data shows that across Africa, in 2019, outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution caused1.1 million deaths. The treaty seeks to support and finance a global shift to renewables.
