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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S hosting of the upcoming high-level African Carbon Credits Market Forum in Victoria Falls early next month will put the country in the limelight of global efforts at mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, a Cabinet Minister has said.
The event, which will be held from July 5 to 7, 2023 under the theme, “Accelerating Africa into the Climate Economy,” is being organised by the Africa Voluntary Carbon Credits Market Forum (AVCCMF).
AVCCMF is a private sector-led initiative that seeks to facilitate a robust, holistic and inclusive people-centric approach to the climate economy.
It is expected the efforts will help Zimbabwe to achieve its National Development Strategy 1, (NDS1) goals, Vision 2030, as well as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that set the tone for the Africa Agenda 2063.
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said in an interview that the hosting of the carbons credits Indaba by Zimbabwe will also promote the growth and development of tourism in the country since Victoria Falls is the hub of the country’s tourism sector.
“We have been invited to the forum as Government and we are also happy to see the private sector coming on board, it’s (carbon credits) an area that has largely been opaque or not very clear to people. I see it as also a platform within which people might get to understand the opportunities that are in this developing phenomenon and also to see the private sector coming on board, I believe it’s very important to have that.”
“It certainly puts Zimbabwe in the right spotlight and we are still a very responsible member of the global world in terms of how we commit to contributing positively to climate change mitigation.
“The forum will also see our destination Victoria Falls playing a more and more prominent role in terms of international business meetings, and I think that also sets the right tone for our tourism growth and development.”
Stakeholders at the upcoming conference will also include traditional leaders, policymakers, Government officials from across Africa, climate change experts, carbon credits industry experts, project developers, carbon credits offset developers, investors and businesses, non-governmental organisations and civil society from the continent and beyond.
Minister Ndlovu said: “As Government and certainly myself as the minister responsible for climate change and the recognition of carbon credits, it’s very good to see Zimbabwe taking this leadership role and key issues up for discussion, bringing communities together with policymakers, potential investors and partners.
“We are a country that is really not a major emitter of carbon and I have always argued that we absorb more carbon than emitting unless proven otherwise.”
He said despite Zimbabwe not being a major emitter of carbon, the country was still committed to helping in reducing the emissions.
“As part of the broader mitigatory measures, we have committed to 40 percent emissions reduction and we have committed this also through our nationally-determined contribution which runs up to 2030.
“And we continue to monitor these on an annual basis even though we have been clear that a lot of our efforts will depend on the availability of funding which has been very difficult to come by,” said Minister Ndlovu.
Meanwhile, AVCCMF chairman Kwanele Hlabangana envisages that stakeholders at the forum will come to a common understanding leading to the forging of strategic collaborations and partnerships that will enhance environmental management and conservation strategies while stimulating the emergence of robust, dynamic, and sustainable positive and active participation of local communities in the climate conservation entrepreneurship to unlock Africa’s growth potential.
“Expected outcomes of the event will include a pledge of Voluntary Carbon Credits to come to the Victoria Falls market, collaboration agreements amongst parties to develop projects and post them in the Victoria Falls Carbon Market, creation of the Zimbabwe community-driven environmental conservation and beneficiation model that can be replicated across Africa,” he said.
It also hoped that the forum would result in a multi-stakeholder, inclusive, participatory, people-centered, pro-development, win-win, private sector-led framework for the management of the carbon credits business in Zimbabwe with the Government playing the regulatory role.
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