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Innocent Ruwende in Bulawayo

Climate experts have urged Zimbabweans to adopt renewable energy alternatives, energy efficiency and climate smart agriculture so that the country can meet its green house gas (GHG) energy emission reduction target.Addressing delegates at the Third National Communication Report Back Workshop for the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report Chapter underway here, Climate Change Management Department director, Mr Washington Zhakata, said the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) ambition calls for collective mitigation efforts by all citizens in order to attain the set 2030 target.

INDCs are climate change mitigation actions, strategies or policies that result in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and consequently a slowdown of global warming.

INDCs are climate change mitigation actions, strategies or policies that result in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and consequently a slowdown of global warming.

Last year, The Paris Agreement adopted Zimbabwe’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to be achieved by 2030.

Zimbabwe’s NDC presented a 33 percent per capita GHG energy emission reduction below business as usual scenario target by 2030.

“It is critical to report accurately on our GHG emissions, as the national communication reports shall be used as background documents in tracking progress towards achieving GHG emissions reduction targets.

“Enhanced mitigation action will assist towards both the national and global sustainable development agenda as enunciated in the country’s economic blueprint Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030),” he said.

Ministry of Energy and Power Development official Mr Victor Kandoro said his ministry was in the process of developing a renewable energy policy.

“The Ministry of Energy and Power Development is currently developing a renewable energy policy which seeks to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy technologies in both rural and urban areas. Barriers to the adoption of the technologies will be addressed in the Policy framework.”

“Consultative workshops will be carried out to gather the views of people on the challenges being faced. The country boasts of having renewable energy in the form of solar, wind and hydro,” he said.

Climate expert Mr Julius Madzore said the key drivers for emissions from waste sector are population growth, urbanisation, affluence and the extent of landfill gas capture.

“Emissions from waste are projected to increase in line with the anticipated population growth,” he said.

Third National Communication project manager Mr Alois Tsiga said countries were obliged under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to report on activities they are doing in terms of combating climate change.