Government reaffirms that Zimbabwean carbon credits are fully compliant

THE Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife has reaffirmed that Zimbabwean carbon credits are fully compliant with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) requirements, following misleading statements.

Carbon credits are tradeable, digital certificates representing the reduction, removal, or avoidance of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent from the atmosphere.

Zimbabwe is transitioning to a strictly regulated, compliance-based carbon market, aiming to phase out unregulated voluntary credits.

In a statement, the Ministry said it has taken note of recent misleading statements regarding CORSIA eligibility of duly generated and authorised Zimbabwean carbon credits.

“These assertions are not only demonstrably and categorically false, but present a direct attack on Africa’s development and climate ambitions. The Ministry wishes to state clearly and unequivocally that the units in question meet all applicable CORSIA eligibility requirements, including recent changes adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council,” read part of the statement.

“The decision by the Gold Standard Foundation, in light of the ICAO Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Recommendations, to delay the recognition of their eligibility is an open affront to the objectives of CORSIA, and risks causing significant financial harm to innocent Zimbabwean communities.”

The Ministry said this delay does not stem from a lack of environmental integrity, but rather from a systemic regulatory misalignment between ICAO’s rigid technical interpretations; specifically the “continuous maintenance” rule, and the sovereign tracking mechanisms required by the Paris Agreement.

The Ministry said it note with concern that this regulatory bottleneck severely prejudices Zimbabwe and the broader African continent.

While inadvertently penalising developing nations for building the exact robust, United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)-aligned national tracking infrastructure required to execute Article 6 Corresponding Adjustments.

“We urgently call for the immediate harmonisation of these frameworks so that African nations are no longer unjustly punished for leading the way in transparent, high-integrity climate action.

“The Ministry wishes to emphasise the following established facts, units issued on the Gold Standard Impact Registry following the application by a corresponding adjustment by Zimbabwe are new, legally distinct units. This is clearly established by both Zimbabwean policy, industry standards of practice, and Gold Standards procedural documents,” added the Ministry.

“The issuance of such units has occurred at the discretion of Gold Standard and under the full authority of Gold Standard, following the completion of all requirements by the Government of Zimbabwe.”

The Ministry said the credits in question are fully valid Gold Standard Verified Emissions Reduction (GSVERs), represented in their registry as unique, appropriately and uniquely issued following the completion of formalities by Zimbabwe.

It said Gold Standard’s registry records for the credits accurately reflects their issuance, while Gold Standard has an obligation under CORSIA to label all credits that meet the eligibility requirements as eligible, and to enable their use as valid offsets under the scheme.

“Zimbabwe retains full confidence in the quality of its mitigation activities, and emphasises that no questions have been raised as to the underlying environmental integrity of these credits,” read part of the statement.

“Correspondingly, the Ministry denounces any statements that distort Zimbabwean laws and policies and seek to artificially undermine confidence in legitimate carbon credits and market mechanisms like CORSIA.”

The Ministry called upon all independent carbon standards bodies, intermediaries, and market participants to act responsibly, engage constructively, and refrain from disseminating incomplete or misleading claims.

It said Zimbabwe remains fully committed to working with international partners, crediting programmes and multilateral institutions to ensure that high-integrity Zimbabwean carbon credits receive fair and lawful treatment in global markets, including CORSIA where applicable.

“We are confident that such efforts will result in the swift and favourable resolution of the current impasse, delivering crucial climate finance to where it is most needed,” said the Ministry.

“Zimbabwe will continue to defend the interests of its people, the value of its environmental assets, and the sovereign right to participate equitably in emerging climate finance mechanisms.”