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ZIMBABWE will host the Africa Green Building Summit in Harare this September, culminating in the signing of the landmark Africa Green Building Manifesto.
The development is expected to place the country at the forefront of continental efforts to promote sustainable construction and climate-resilient development.
The summit takes place just weeks before Zimbabwe hosts the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for October.
President Mnangagwa is set to assume the chairmanship of the regional bloc at the summit, further underlining the country’s growing prominence as a destination for major continental gatherings.
The Africa Green Building Manifesto, which will be unveiled and adopted in Harare, is expected to provide a framework for African countries to pursue environmentally sustainable construction practices, reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the transition towards greener cities and communities.
In an interview last week, Green Building Council of Zimbabwe chairperson and president, Dr Mike Juru, said hosting the summit and the signing of the manifesto represented a major milestone for both the country and the continent.
“As the Green Building Council of Zimbabwe, we have been mandated by the World Green Building Council and also the Africa Regional Network of green buildings to host the Africa Green Building Summit from September 23 to 25 in Harare,” said Dr Juru. He said the summit rotates among African countries, with previous editions having been hosted in Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
“The host nation is selected on a rotational basis. The World Green Building Council assesses the progress being made by a given country for it to be selected as a host,” he said.
A key highlight of the summit will be the launch of the Africa Manifesto, which is expected to shape the continent’s future approach to sustainable infrastructure development. “During this summit, there is going to be the launch of the Africa Manifesto, which speaks to what the rest of Africa is working on or should be working on.
“It will shape the ‘Africa We Want’ in terms of the built environment,” said Dr Juru.
The summit is expected to attract delegates from across Africa and beyond, including representatives from the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat.
Dr Juru said climate change had become a pressing global challenge, with the built environment accounting for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions.
“Forty percent of carbon emissions are from the built environment, which means something must be done about the buildings,” he said.
Green buildings offer significant economic and environmental benefits by reducing energy and water consumption, lowering operating costs and promoting the use of clean energy technologies such as solar power.
According to Dr Juru, green buildings also reduce pressure on national infrastructure systems by conserving water and electricity, while encouraging efficient use of construction materials.
The adoption of green building standards can also reduce the country’s import bill for water treatment chemicals and energy-related inputs while promoting recycling, resource efficiency and environmental conservation.
Added Dr Juru: “When people gather here, it’s largely knowledge sharing to say ‘what can you do in your own country’.
“Beyond that, it is also about how countries can go on to structure issues to do with policy.”
Zimbabwe is already taking steps towards sustainable construction through ongoing efforts by the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to review building by-laws in line with international best practices and climate commitments under the Paris Agreement of 2015.
The hosting of both the Africa Green Building Summit and the COMESA Summit within weeks of each other highlights growing international confidence in Zimbabwe’s capacity to convene major continental events and contribute to shaping Africa’s development agenda.
For Zimbabwe, the signing of the Africa Green Building Manifesto will not only elevate the country’s profile in climate and infrastructure discussions, but also position Harare as a platform for advancing the vision of a greener, more sustainable and economically resilient Africa.
