President Paul Kagame, on January 14, said that the global sustainability agenda should be one that delivers on its promise, notably without compromising Africa’s industrialisation efforts. He made the remarks during the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). Themed “The Nexus of Next. Supercharging Sustainable Progress, the event is bringing together world leaders to explore how to leverage advanced technologies to deliver a resilient, inclusive and prosperous future. ALSO READ: Kagame, UAE President root for acceleration of sustainable development Spearheaded by UAE's president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Masdar, the ADSW brings together world leaders, business and civil society, sustainability industry leaders, scientists, innovators and other stakeholders for discussions aimed at addressing global challenges, advancing clean energy and accelerating sustainable socioeconomic progress. In his remarks, Kagame said that the current global sustainability agenda has not yet delivered on its promise, particularly for Africa, with political commitments missing out on action and leaving endless debates and finger pointing. He noted that policy options are often not suitable for the realities of developing countries, as stakes for Africa are quite high given that its population is set to double by 2050, meaning an increased demand for water, food, energy and jobs. “Sustainability presents us with a dual challenge: We must fast-track development, while concurrently building a low-carbon economy. To achieve both goals, we have to adopt affordable, scalable, and economically viable technology.” The Head of State said that Rwanda’s approach to sustainability reflects this drive through a focus on inclusion, resilience, and collaboration. He mentioned different initiatives taken such as creating a pro-business environment with tax benefits and simple immigration policies, the establishment of Rwanda Innovation Fund to back disruptive companies and attract global capital, as well as digital platforms that give farmers access to real time market data to inform their decision, pointing at a typical example of Zipline –a drone company that started in Rwanda delivering medical supplies –which is now valued at $4 billion with operations across multiple continents. Initiatives highlighted also include cutting energy use and emission through smart street lighting and intelligent traffic systems, and investing in electric motorcycles and cashless payments for public transport, complemented with tax incentives for electric vehicle adoption. “Experience has taught us that while renewable energy and digital solutions are very vital, they are insufficient to drive Africa’s industrialization. For this, we require energy that fuels large scale manufacturing and production. Sustainability plans that neglect this obvious and oppressing need are asking Africa to constrain its development. This is neither fair nor acceptable, it is a question of fairness and justice. The technologies we discuss must provide energy at scale which is just as cost effective as the alternatives,” Kagame said. From a rationale that nuclear energy is a viable option as it offers clean and reliable power source, he noted Rwanda’s steps to prepare for small modular nuclear reactors as a major part of future energy mix. “We recognize that sustainable development is a collective effort and no nation can do it alone, however, we must learn from the mistakes from the past and move beyond political frameworks that keeps us in a stalemate. Technological innovations necessitate pragmatic and result driven partnerships, ultimately, technology will depend and succeed where politics is falling and failing in getting us to a sustainable and equitable future.” Kagame lauded Rwanda’s partnership with UAE through the One Million Coders Initiative for enterprise and government experience exchange program. He also participated in the 16th Zayed Sustainability Prize awards ceremony, UAE’s global award that recognizes and rewards small and medium enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and global high schools with impactful, innovative and inspiring sustainable solutions.
