The Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife in Zimbabwe has initiated an ambitious program to become one of the first countries to achieve full readiness under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Article 6 allows countries to voluntarily cooperate in meeting their climate goals, facilitating international collaboration to combat climate change and providing financial support to developing nations.
This program will allow Zimbabwe to transfer carbon credits earned from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help other countries meet their climate targets. It also establishes a framework for cooperation among countries to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Zimbabwe aims to achieve full Article 6 readiness by mid-2025.
The Ministry’s mandate includes promoting and regulating carbon trading in Zimbabwe. It will facilitate trade in carbon credits to aid in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development.
“This will not only provide Zimbabwe with additional resources but also solidify the country’s position as a global leader in the fight against climate change,” said Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni.
Article 6 requires host countries to establish the necessary institutional, technical, and legal arrangements to ensure the integrity of emissions reductions and accountability for all mitigation outcomes generated within their jurisdiction.
The Government of Zimbabwe is developing an Article 6 Implementation Framework to ensure transparency and accountability in carbon trading. This includes a full readiness and needs assessment, the creation of an Article 6 Action Plan, a Carbon Market Strategy, a state-of-the-art carbon registry, and an online portal for project developers, the public, and investors.
Minister Nyoni emphasized the importance of aligning this program with existing policies, such as the Carbon Credit Framework and Statutory Instrument 150 of 2023, and forthcoming legislation like the Climate Change Management Bill, expected by the end of the year.
The program aims to assist project proponents with existing voluntary market projects in transitioning to the compliance market. It will ensure that all emissions reductions generated in Zimbabwe are of the highest environmental integrity, value, and marketability.
Zimbabwe is open for business, and the Ministry seeks to reassure that all projects, both new and existing, will benefit from an improved regulatory environment. This will ensure that all projects make genuine, meaningful, and measurable contributions to sustainable development, in line with Vision 2030, which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
“For new investors, this will offer clear, easy-to-use guidelines, approval processes, and implementation modalities to guarantee the security and reliability of their investment,” Minister Nyoni said.
The government calls on all project proponents, developers, investors, and the public to be patient during this transitional period. The process will be transparent and participatory, with the Ministry welcoming all stakeholder inputs.
Minister Nyoni added that the government aims to finalize the Article 6 policy and carbon market strategy by December 2024, in time for integration with the Climate Change Management Bill.
This year, UAE’s Blue Carbon and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industries signed a historic agreement to pioneer forest emission reduction projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The agreement covers an impressive 7.5 million hectares.
A ceremony in Harare marked the signing of the agreement between former Environment Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu and Blue Carbon’s CEO Josiane Sadaka. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, and senior UNDP officials witnessed the event.
This partnership aims to spearhead emission reduction projects in Zimbabwe’s AFOLU sector and generate carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It promises to unlock economic opportunities for Zimbabwe through carbon credit revenues and bring socio-economic benefits from project investments.
With Zimbabwean forests facing threats of deforestation and degradation, these projects are crucial for fortifying forest conservation efforts and propelling vital climate mitigation actions. The designated areas will undergo a meticulous scoping process to select optimal project sites and determine suitable REDD+ activities.
The agreement also commits to comprehensive community engagement and consultations to ensure the delivery of economic and social growth opportunities and promote sustainable development.
As the world looks forward to COP28, this historic partnership marks a significant milestone in operationalizing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It underscores the private sector’s crucial role in enhancing climate ambitions and facilitating the achievement of Net-Zero goals.
Blue Carbon, a subsidiary of Global Carbon Investments, leverages the UAE’s visionary developmental and entrepreneurial spirit. It specializes in facilitating social development journeys for the private sector and nations seeking to enhance their environmental assets, offering end-to-end development services for nature-based carbon projects.
Source: New Zimbabwe
