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Africa Moyo-Deputy News Editor

Zimbabwe will send the best team of negotiators to Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, for the Conference of Parties 27 (COP27) to get the best climate deal for Zimbabwe, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said.

He said this today while officially opening the

Pre-COP27 preparatory climate change stakeholder workshop held in Harare.

COP27 runs from November 6 to 18 in Egypt’s resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.

Minister Ndlovu said a draft ‘Zimbabwe Position Paper’ on various items on the COP27 agenda was being shaped by national consultations and includes issues of adaptation (agriculture, food and water security), loss and damage  mitigation including primarily energy security, climate finance, response measures and the new market mechanism for carbon trading.

The Government position paper being prepared, would be presented for stakeholders to make their final inputs.

“For the first time, we have asked for our climate negotiators to apply and not assume this position,” said Minister Ndlovu.

“We are pleased that the call for negotiators has been done publicly, which is the intent of the Second Republic to have an inclusive approach. Climate change is sectoral, multi-layered and affects all of us.

“We want, therefore, to send the best team of negotiators to Sharm El Sheik to get the best climate deal for Zimbabwe and Africa.”

Minister Ndlovu said the approach of sending the best representatives would be the new strategy of the Government at all the Conference of Parties in future.

“We have realised that it is how we negotiate climate that will set the tone of how we will achieve the national aspirations that are in our development strategy and vision 2030.

As we go for this important conference, let us all be guided by our national development aspirations as envisioned in Vision 2030 and articulated in the National Development Strategy 1.

“Emissions reductions should go alongside economic development, green industrialisation, infrastructure enhancement, beautification of cities, enhancing e-mobility, climate smart agriculture and efforts towards eliminating poverty in all its forms,” said Minister Ndlovu.

All of Zimbabwe’s representatives at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh have been implored to work together.

“Being accredited to attend this important conference by the Government or observer organisations should not be taken for granted.

“It is an opportunity for the delegates to contribute to the global discourse on climate change and development at the same time pushing the national development agenda and mobilisation of international climate finance,” said Minister Ndlovu.