Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
THE Government has positioned green industrialisation at the centre of Zimbabwe’s economic agenda, saying sustainable manufacturing is critical to achieving Vision 2030 and cushioning the economy against climate shocks.
This emerged today at the official opening of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA ) Workshop to Review and Validate Regional Studies on Innovative Climate Action to Accelerate Green Industrialisation in Southern Africa at a local hotel in Harare.
Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce Ambassador Tadeous Chifamba said the country could no longer pursue growth at the expense of the environment.
“Through NDS2 and our trajectory towards Vision 2030, we recognise that sustainable industrialisation is the only path forward,” Amb Chifamba said in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Netai Magade
“For Zimbabwe and the wider SADC region, green industrialisation is not an eco-friendly option; it is an economic survival strategy.”
The two-day workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce with support from UNECA and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) under the UN Development Account 17th Tranche Project, is reviewing four regional studies covering Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.
Ambassador Chifamba said El Niño-induced droughts and erratic weather were already impacting agriculture, energy and trade.
“They are immediate economic disruptions impacting our agro-based industries, forcing shifts in our hydro-power generation, and altering our trade balances,” he said.
Ambassador Chifamba also outlined four focus areas for the studies: green industrialisation strategies, technology transfer and innovation, circular economy, and renewable energy transition.
On value addition, he said: “We must consciously pivot from linear ‘extract and export’ models towards high-value manufacturing.
“We must value-add and beneficiate our primary commodities — from agricultural produce to lithium and platinum.”
On energy, he said Zimbabwe must map cross-border clean energy grids and unlock green hydrogen and carbon credit opportunities.
“Robust industry requires reliable, uninterrupted base-load power. Zimbabwe is blessed with immense solar, wind, and transitional energy capacity.”
Ambassador Chifamba also added that SADC countries must build competitive green value chains under AfCFTA.
“No single nation can build a green industrial ecosystem in isolation. Zimbabwe’s critical energy minerals can be paired with regional clean energy capabilities and manufacturing hubs to produce batteries and electric vehicle components traded tariff-free across our continent,” he said.
Mr Oliver Maponga from ECA Sub-Regional Office Lusaka said the four-year project will use country experiences to guide regional policy, with year one focusing on policy review.
“Green industrialisation is about inclusivity. It is about leveraging agricultural value chains and mineral value chains, supporting sustainable development, and especially creating opportunities for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises to operate within the formal economy,” Mr Maponga said.
“The ‘greening’ aspect involves reducing the carbon footprint. It is about promoting production that doesn’t damage the environment.”
Representing the UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Dr Rosemary Kalapurakal, UNIDO Country Representative Innocent Madziva said the transition must deliver jobs and resilience.
“For many communities, these are not distant environmental concerns,” Mr Madziva said. “They are development concerns. They affect whether a farmer can produce, whether a small business can remain operational, whether a young person can find decent work.”
