Rwanda - Lessons Learned from the Standardized Crediting Framework

Overview & Synopsis

The Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev) is a World Bank trust fund that mobilizes private finance for clean energy access in low-income countries. The Ci-Dev carbon fund pays for verified and credited emission reductions (ERs) through Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements (ERPAs) while the Ci-Dev readiness fund supports capacity building associated with the ERPA. The Standardized Crediting Framework (SCF) is a World Bank-executed initiative by the Ci-Dev readiness fund to enhance carbon market support to energy access programs and, in most cases, except in Rwanda, to facilitate the transition of the project pipeline under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to the new crediting options articulated under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The SCF in Rwanda developed national methodologies for ER quantification, tailored to the country’s specific context through stakeholder workshops, individual consultations, and technical expert feedback sessions. The SCF rollout began in September 2022, originally planned over an 18-month timeline. The SCF was included as a specific cooperative approach under Rwanda’s National Carbon Market Framework (NCMF), published in September 2023, which elaborated on the governance structure and roles of government entities under the SCF. The rollout schedule was extended to accommodate the operationalization of some aspects of the RCMF and to allow for deeper engagement with national stakeholders.