Kigali, Rwanda – April 4, 2025 – On the sidelines of the Global AI Summit taking place in Rwanda this week, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) hosted a luncheon event themed “AI and Green Growth: Opportunities and Challenges for Africa.” The luncheon event centers on harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for sustainable development while addressing its environmental footprint and ensuring equitable access.

Recognizing AI’s transformative potential to accelerate climate action and green growth – from optimizing energy grids and improving waste management to enabling precision agriculture and monitoring deforestation – the event addressed the growing environmental impact of AI itself and the challenges of data accessibility, equity, and governance. Discussions also explored approaches to AI development and deployment that prioritize equity, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability.

Sang-Hyup Kim, Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute, commended the Government of Rwanda for its strong leadership in shaping a green digital future for the country and the African continent. He accentuated that AI is one of the new priority strategic directions for GGGI.

“AI is at the heart of a new industrial revolution which is shaping our world for the next decades. If deployed safely and sustainably, it can help accelerate green, inclusive growth in a decisive manner.” — Sang-Hyup Kim, Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute.

He added that “For the African continent to reap the immense benefits of AI, we, collectively, need to pioneer new approaches and forge new partnerships to harness AI for green and inclusive growth, and create a safe and secure digital future for all.”

Hon. Olivier Kabera, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), Rwanda, noted:

“Rwanda recognizes the immense potential of AI to drive the country’s ambitious green growth and climate agenda. Anchored on the National Strategy for Transformation 2, the Government of Rwanda has prioritized the use of emerging technology in advancing smart and resilient cities. Ranging from the ability to provide equitable and efficient services through platforms like Irembo, which has digitized access to government services for all, to the use of the Kubaka-Building Permitting Management Information System (BPMIS) and the online master plan tools.”

Hon. Olivier added, “In the urban and infrastructure sectors, the Government of Rwanda is increasingly exploring the application of predictive analytics and AI-powered models and tools to manage land use, forecast urban growth and climate change, monitor traffic patterns, and infrastructure needs, among others. As our cities continue to rapidly grow, we seek to increase efficiency through generative design tools created to optimize our buildings and infrastructure while enhancing resilience to climate change”.

A panel of experts delved into Rwanda’s experience, exchanging insights on the role of AI in the country’s green growth and climate-resilient transition. These discussions aim to lay the groundwork for future collaborations on AI-driven green growth innovations for Rwanda and other African nations.

About the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI):

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, intergovernmental organization that supports and promotes strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. GGGI is supporting the government of Rwanda with its ambitions to reach upper-middle-income countries by 2035 and high-income country status by 2050, respectively, and to become a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy by 2050.

For media inquiries, reach out to:

• Innocent Muvunyi, Senior Communications and Knowledge Sharing Associate–GGGI Rwanda
• Contacts: innocent.muvunyi@gggi.org or +250 788 353 906
• About the photo: Participants at the AI and Green Growth event pose for a group photo. The event brought together AI experts, green growth champions, and policymakers to discuss the potential of AI in tackling the climate crisis and driving the transition to a green economy in Africa. The discussions highlighted the need to promote AI Accessibility for all countries to reduce the digital divide and the necessity to ensure that AI is sustainable and drives the green transition for Africa and the world. ©GGGI