Rwanda is advancing toward sustainable and climate-friendly cooling through a week of technical and stakeholder engagement activities held from 25–28 March in Kigali. The efforts are part of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Project, “Rwanda Cooling Initiative: Enabling Deployment of Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling.”

Led by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme’s United for Efficiency (U4E) initiative as a technical partner, and the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) as issuer of the regulation, the project supports the development and implementation of a Technical Regulation for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) as well as a Product Registration System (PRS) designed to demonstrate compliance with the upcoming regulations with the aim to promote energy-efficiency.

The regulation establishes Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and mandatory energy labelling for domestic refrigerators, air conditioners (up to 16 kilowatts), and lighting products. These requirements are aligned with the recently approved East African Community (EAC) standards, positioning Rwanda as one of the first countries in the region to make their adoption mandatory upon implementation. In addition to energy efficiency, the regulation also includes provisions for product safety and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for EEE.

Once implemented, these energy-efficiency policies will mitigate over 840,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions over the first 18 years—comparable to removing more than 27,400 cars from the road for the same duration. Annual energy savings are projected to reach approximately 107 GWh, equivalent to avoiding the need for a new power plant with a capacity exceeding 24 MW.

International experts from U4E—Victor Minguez (Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement) and Miquel Pitarch (Energy Efficiency Policy)—were in Kigali to support the stakeholder validation of the Technical Regulation, deliver training and prepare for next steps during the implementation process.

Ms. Antoinette Mbabazi, Acting Director General of RICA issued the opening remarks to the validation workshop:

“RICA is committed to ensuring that Rwanda’s market aligns with our national vision for sustainability and energy efficiency. By issuing and rigorously enforcing these technical regulations, we are safeguarding consumer interests, promoting fair competition, and facilitating compliance among businesses. The collaboration with REMA and UNEP’s United for Efficiency team has enhanced our capacity to regulate and effectively monitor cooling products entering the Rwandan market. We look forward to continued cooperation with all stakeholders to ensure that our regulatory framework supports Rwanda’s environmental commitments and fosters sustainable economic growth.”

Beata Akimpaye, Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Division Manager at REMA, commented, “This collaborative initiative between REMA and UNEP marks a significant milestone towards sustainable development in Rwanda. By transitioning to energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling solutions, we are not only advancing our environmental goals but also unlocking substantial economic benefits. REMA deeply appreciates UNEP U4E’s expertise and support in positioning Rwanda as a regional leader in sustainable practices.”

Validating the Technical Regulation

A national workshop, led by Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) with support from REMA, U4E, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), gathered public and private sector stakeholders to validate the Technical Regulation.

This marks a key milestone in the process, concluding the development and revision phase and paving the way for the regulation’s final endorsement and official publication.

During the workshop, participants shared valuable insights on enforcement and compliance mechanisms, and RICA invited final written comments to support the completion of the regulation.

Advancing the Product Registration System

Bilateral meetings with key agencies and institutions focused on integrating EPR, energy efficiency, and safety compliance registration system into Rwanda’s IREMBO digital services platform, as well as outlining next steps for implementing the various requirements of the Technical Regulation.

The cross-agency collaboration—bringing together REMA, U4E, IREMBO, GIZ, RURA, Customs, and the Ministry of ICT—aims to streamline regulatory processes and reduce administrative burdens by establishing a unified digital platform for product registration and compliance.

Building Capacity for Implementation

Following the validation and bilateral meetings, over the course of two days, from 32 to 39 participants from government agencies and the private sector took part in a hands-on training designed to strengthen their technical capacity to implement the new regulation.

Day 1 focused on the structure of the regulation, conformity assessment procedures, energy efficiency standards and calculations, and market surveillance practices. The session was highly interactive, featuring practical exercises using energy performance calculation tools.

Day 2 began with a recap and open Q&A to reinforce key concepts, followed by a live demonstration of the PRS—currently under development. The PRS will enable users to input product data, automatically calculate energy performance for domestic refrigerators, and generate compliant energy labels.

Next Steps

RICA will review the feedback received during the validation week and finalize the Technical Regulation, initiating the process for its official publication.

U4E will continue providing technical assistance, especially on energy efficiency, and coordinate with REMA, RICA, ITU, and IREMBO to complete and integrate the registration systems for the different requirements of the Technical Regulation.  A follow-up training is scheduled for December 2025, once the energy efficiency nodule of the PRS is fully operational.

For more information on the project “Rwanda Cooling Initiative: Enabling Deployment of Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling”, contact Miquel Pitarch Mocholi (mi************@**.org) or Victor Minguez (vi************@**.org).