In a bid to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) for recapitalisation of local industry production, the government has resorted to an array of “quick-fix” plans to lure foreign businesspeople.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
So far, the deals signed point mostly at mineral extraction, energy production and agriculture as the next big businesses to employ the largely unemployed population. However, with the mantra “Zimbabwe is open of for business” virtually becoming the crux of the country’s economic foreign policy, environmental advocacy groups have raised red flags around issues to do with environmental consciousness in economic activities.
This follows a reality that in the past investors, especially in the mining sector, have been known to not only degrade the environment, but also leave a huge carbon gas footprint through toxic emissions with less to no tangible progress in their areas of operation.
Speaking to The Standard Style on the sidelines of the Conference Of Parties (COP) 23 stakeholders feedback meeting on Thursday, Zimbabwe Climate Change Working Group representative Shepherd Zvigadza said there was need for transparency on government’s environmental laws to make sure that they are not routed by capitalists.
“At the moment it [environmental law] is not really clear. probably within the government system there could be structures, but I think it has to be public knowledge in terms of environment concerns of any investment,” said Zvigadza.
According to him, if such guidelines are publicly made clear even the general populace can act as fully equipped environment defenders who lobby against negligent activity regarding the environment.
“It is of concern to every stakeholder, especially in civil society so that they do not criticise even when it is unnecessary, so when information is put on the table then it becomes much more clear, but without sharing that information we are likely to get questions from the public,” he said
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Zvigadza’s assessment rings true when one looks at some developments, especially in mineral-rich areas where extractors have made quick bucks at the expense of healthy surroundings.
On paper, there are governing laws, but regulators like the Environmental Management Agency have more often proven lax on enforcement of laws.
In an interview at the same event, Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate environmentalist Lawrence Mashungu said government with support from Russia and also the United Nations Development Programme is developing a low emission development strategy.
“This is a strategy for government, which takes into consideration that we are a developing country and we still need to develop, but now as we are developing we need to develop in a low emission way,” said Mashungu.
He said the development of the strategy, which will start this year till the end of 2019, takes into consideration that the country still needs to develop taking into cognisance the climate change phenomenon.
“This means to say that we have to tailor-make our processes in such a way that we are doing our work but reducing greenhouse gases so that we protect the climate,” said Mashungu.
The current administration commissioned two railway diesel-electro locomotives and 31 wagons, part of a larger consignment of new trains expected to inject life into the ailing National Railways of Zimbabwe last month.
This is one example proving that in the quest for development, there is still a lot to be done to achieve use of clean energy to power transport among other productive electric machines.
Zimbabwe ratified COP last year and according to the agreement the government has nationally determined contributions in the struggle to mitigate and adapt to the climate change scourge.
But, on the ground some environmentally destructive activities are continuing exposing the country to natural resource depletion and a toxic atmosphere.
Perhaps going forward the current political leadership can be more transparent and exercise caution in signing long-impacting deals as they could spur climate change and destruction on the environment. l For feedback, email: [email protected]
