Zimbabwe must take action to reduce carbon emissions

Sifelani Tsiko

Zimbabwe needs to take practical steps to promote the adoption of carbon-cutting measures in all economic sectors to protect the environment, experts say.

Environmentalists at a virtual forum on leveraging on regional expertise in demonstrating the economic benefits of renewable energy said while Zimbabwe had adopted and signed a number of protocols on climate change, there was a need for a battery of measures to reduce carbon foot prints in key sectors.

“Carbon emissions are still very high in tobacco production and at our coal-powered thermal power stations. Our agricultural and agro-processing sectors are still generating carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change,” said Dr Darlington Muzeza, of the Grow a Tree Foundation.

“As a country we need to embrace major shifts in the way we cure our tobacco, process agricultural products and a whole range of other services to reduce their carbon footprints. Our leaders have made commitments to reduce climate change and we need to act on the ground for Zimbabwe to attain its sustainable goals on climate change.”

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) organised the forum to help the country to explore strategies for low carbon development to preserve the planet.

Environmental experts urged the Government, private sector, development partners and local communities to raise their game in the battle against climate change.

“We have a policy that allows everybody to participate in the renewable energy generation. What is needed more, is to act and shape policies that help our countries to move away from coal based energy,” said Bobby peek, an environmental activist based in South Africa.

“We should align the move to renewable energy with the broader climate change policy. While we are making our demands for climate justice and debt on the international stage, we must set clear steps to force low-carbon innovations that promote clean energy.”

Tobacco curing is a major cause of deforestation in Zimbabwe since farmers are forced to burn vast amounts of wood in order to properly cure their tobacco.

Environmentalists at the forum urged farmers to adopt new technologies such as rocket barns that reduce amount of fuel wood needed for curing.

The barns have helped to reduce fuel usage by half.

Apart from this, environmentalists said it was also important to promote reforestation in major tobacco growing regions of the country.

Others said promoting the uptake of green energy such as solar, wind, hydro and biodigesters was another critical component for reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that affect the temperature of the earth.

“Renewable energy has the potential to reduce energy demand on the main Zesa grid and our carbon foot print as a country,” said Frank Tinarwo, principal energy development officer in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development.

“The major challenges that we still face include, lack of funding and foreign direct investment as well as the unavailability of long term concessions and skilled manpower. Addressing these could help us as a country in our transition to green energy.”

Zimbabwe ratified the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to help reduce global emissions and protect the planet.