Green economy now a must

emissions and saving energy.
On Monday Zimbabwe joined the world in celebrating the World Environment Day. The day is celebrated every year on June 5 and reminds each and every citizen of the world of the need to live in harmony with nature, while at the same time taking advantage to develop socially and economically together with the environment.
The day makes us all remember that we are not the first generation to live in the world and neither are we the last, hence we have an obligation to preserve the environment while tapping from it in a constructive and useful way.
What we remain with today is a result of how the past generations have left for us and we should feel challenged to live and leave behind a better-managed and flourishing environment for the next generation and others to come. Those gone have played their part,  but we should play a bigger and more important role, not only because it is our chance but more so because we are better placed and better resourced mentally and maybe financially to do better than our predecessors.
This day was proclaimed in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. The day was agreed after people had realised international growing concerns on the degradation of the environment.
As a nation we value this day which serves as a platform to promote an in-depth understanding on what communities, civic society, industry and all other sectors should do to change attitudes towards environmental issues.
This year we commemorated the day under the theme “Greening the Economy — Does it include You?” The theme brings out the fact that everyone’s contribution to the success of a Green Economy is important and invites “us” to evaluate whether the steps being taken by the government, private sector, civil society and communities in our areas “include us”.
A Green Economy is one that produces low greenhouse gas emissions, uses resources more efficiently, continues to generate growth, income and jobs and observes social equity and inclusiveness. It is one that results in improved human well being, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.
As we continue celebrating this day, let us consider carefully the actions each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving life on earth for our common future. The Green Economy initiative has come to Zimbabwe against a background of the global trend of high levels of industrialisation, which increases emissions of greenhouse gases.
The Green Economy touches almost every aspect of our lives and concerns our development. I therefore urge all Zimbabweans to invest in renewable energy such as solar, which can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, lighting in homes and schools.
This is precisely the reason why it should became mandatory for every sector of our economy to take steps to green its activities and operations by investing in cleaner technologies, reducing emissions and saving energy. This day embraces all environmental actions and commitments being demonstrated by various stakeholders in environmental management.
Through World Environment Day, we can employ our individual and collective power to green our economy.
My ministry has over the years tirelessly worked towards ensuring a clean, safe and healthy environment for the citizens of Zimbabwe.
Teams of experts were assembled to prepare our Third State of the Environment Report that covers the period 1998 to 2007. From the trend analysis and findings of the Third State of the Environment Report, both urban and rural communities were faced with serious environmental challenges. These manifested themselves in the form of increased demand for water, energy and related services; air and water pollution; unsustainable waste generation and, of course, severe land degradation.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me re-emphasise that we have a heritage to protect for both present and future generations. Together we can make a difference in safeguarding our environment and indeed prepare well for our common future, our children and more generations to come.  So let the current indications of environmental degradation serve as a wake-up call that should prompt attitude change towards our environment.  By celebrating World Environment Day, we should remind ourselves and others of the importance of caring for our environment. Remember that every action counts.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I also take this opportunity to officially launch our Third State of the Environment Report now known as the Zimbabwe Environment Outlook. But the biggest challenge of our time is our ability to benefit from the environment, without necessarily destroying the same environment or using the wrong methods to tap from it.
As a generation, we must leave behind a legacy of sound environmental management, skilful extraction of resources from the environment and ploughing back to the same environment for the benefit of future generations. That is our biggest challenge!

Honourable Francis Nhema is the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Management.