The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are climate action plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement. Each country's NDC outlines its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Rwanda as a party to the UNFCCC submitted the NDC in 2020 reflecting its national circumstances, capacities, and priorities.

Rwanda’s mitigation contribution takes the form of a reduction in GHG emissions relative to a business-as-usual (BAU) emissions baseline over the period 2015-2030. The contribution comprises two components: 

• Unconditional contribution: A reduction of 16 per cent relative to BAU in the year 2030; equivalent to an estimated mitigation level of 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2 e) in that year. This is an unconditional target, based on domestically supported and implemented mitigation measures and policies. 
• Conditional contribution: An additional reduction of 22 per cent relative to BAU in the year 2030; equivalent to an estimated mitigation level of 2.7 million tCO2 e in that year. This represents an additional targeted contribution, based on the provision of international support and funding

As like many other countries, Rwanda is increasingly experiencing the impacts of climate change. Rainfall has become increasingly intense and the variability is predicted to increase by 5% to 10. Changes in temperature and precipitation and their distributions are the key drivers of climate and weather-related disasters that negatively affect Rwandans and the country’s economy, including droughts, floods, and landslides which result in damage to infrastructure, loss of lives and property (including crops) and contribute to soil erosion and water pollution. Rwanda is highly reliant on rain-fed agriculture both for rural livelihoods and exports of tea and coffee, in addition to depending on hydropower for half of its electricity generation. The country’s ongoing economic growth is therefore highly threatened by climate change. 

The Government of Rwanda is committed to urgent climate action, aiming to limit global temperature rise in line with the Paris Agreement. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Rwanda prioritizes both mitigation and adaptation due to its high vulnerability to climate change. In 2011, Rwanda adopted the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS), (revised in 2023) is aligned with the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) for 2024-2029. The GGCRS outlines actions for transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and informs key national strategies, including the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the National Environment and Climate Change Policy of 2019, which aims to achieve a climate-resilient nation with a clean and healthy environment by 2050.