Businesses urged to go green

business was causing extensive damage to the environment and businesspeople should have a vision to protect the environment.
“Business is causing extensive damage to our environment and we must come together and correct this.
“I am thus delighted to be here to share my vision, the Government’s vision to protect Mother Earth while we engage in our profitable and sustainable business activities,” said Minister Nhema.
He added that tonnes of effluent was being discharged into rivers and dams resulting in a significant portion the water bodies now failing to meet the standard for human consumption.
Some long established cement businesses, he said, have failed to adjust their operations in compliance with environmental laws of the country.
Business representatives at the meeting cited the fact that there was a fragile industrial recovery underway which was largely premised on inadequate domestic financial resources and this has impacted on their ability to modernise their machinery.
The representatives also argued that businesses were struggling to stay afloat and thus could not spare money and resources to tackle environmental issues at the moment.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Allied Timbers Zimbabwe and Steel Maker Limited were among the organisations that attended the event.
Minister Nhema commended CZI president Joseph Kanyekanye for the role played by the industrial representative body in facilitating the increase in capacity utilisation in industry from 10 percent in 2008 to around 57,2 percent.
“In your next manufacturing report, it would be good if you could also report on industries carbon footprint, projects on clean development mechanism and other environmental indicators that my ministry can help formulate together with CZI,” said Minister Nhema.
He also noted that business sectors must meet with the Environmental Management Agency and officials as an urgent agenda item to understand environmental outstanding issues.
Minister Nhema said this should lead to an agreed practical and invariably painful target to meet realistic environmental targets.
“Such a programme must be sensitive to our current state of the economy and prevailing liquidity challenges. Ultimately, we should have a green picture for industry, students and academics.
“Thereof, let each and every company’s annual report reflect the extent that the firm has achieved compliance with green issues,” he added.