Zimbabwe needs US$30 billion for Climate Action by 2035

Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE will require nearly US$30 billion in climate-related investments over the next decade to meet its mitigation and adaptation commitments, according to the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife’s Climate Change Management Department Annual Report for 2025.
The report reviews the department’s performance under the National Development Strategy 1 (2021–2025), the Ministry’s Strategic Plan and climate-related statutory instruments.
According to the report, Zimbabwe requires an estimated US$19 billion by 2035 to implement its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 commitments under the Paris Agreement and a further US$10.3 billion by 2030 to finance the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Despite these substantial funding requirements, the department said it made progress in mobilising climate finance and technology resources.
“The Climate Change Management Department successfully mobilised climate finance and climate technology resources to enhance mitigation and adaptation efforts in the country,” the report states.
A major milestone during the year was the implementation of Zimbabwe’s carbon market framework following the promulgation of the Carbon Trading (General) Regulations and the operationalisation of the Zimbabwe Carbon Registry in May 2025.
The report says the Zimbabwe Carbon Markets Authority has fully approved three projects — the CICADA Clean Cooking Manicaland Safe Water Project, the My Trees ARR Project and the Southern Africa Clean Cooking Initiative — while eight other projects are under development and one has been rejected.
“To date, 216 accounts have been opened on the Zimbabwe Carbon Registry. Of these, 157 are project developers, 12 are auditors and 47 are buyers.”
The ministry said 2025 also saw progress in strengthening climate governance, climate literacy, stakeholder engagement, policy development and the rollout of climate services through Community Information Centres.
However, financial constraints, staffing shortages, coordination challenges and limited digital infrastructure continued to affect implementation.
The report says addressing these structural challenges will be critical for Zimbabwe to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement and accelerate climate resilience efforts.
“While resource constraints limited the scale and speed of implementation, the achievements of 2025 demonstrate strong institutional commitment and growing national momentum for climate action,” the report says.