‘Promote electric car usage’

THE year 2023 was one of the hottest years on record, headlined by increased global warming with fossil fuels being one of the major global challenges.

Currently, a stark reality of El Nino is confronting Southern Africa.

Zimbabwe was warned earlier this week to be on high alert for yet another tropical storm named Cyclone Belal, which barrelled down the Indian Ocean Island of La Reunion and is heading for Madagascar’s East Coast.

Fossil fuels are, by far, the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Fossil fuels are found in Earth's crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy for example coal, oil, and natural gas.

Human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels which produces heat-trapping gases, causing shifts in temperatures and weather patterns headlined by more hot days and heat waves.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) closed with an agreement that signals the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era, underpinned by deep emissions cuts and scaled-up finance.

Zimbabwe participated at the COP28 and was part of the agreement to progressively move away from fossil fuels in the energy sector by 2050, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa attending the global event.

Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe chairman, Isaiah Nyakusendwa told businessdigest that the transport sector is one of the biggest emitters of fossil fuel. He suggested that electrical vehicles should be adopted in both the public and private sectors to reduce these emissions.

“The transport sector is now one of the biggest emitters in the country. We need to move towards electrical mobility on both private and public transport,” he said.

“To achieve that, we need incentives for electric vehicles to enhance affordability and accessibility. Incentives include duties and value-added tax (VAT) waivers.”

The chairman said the country should decarbonise the electricity generation, focusing more on wind and solar electricity generation.

The process of decarbonising electricity generation tends to become expensive, but Nyakusendwa said there is a need for long-term funding to enable the private sector to complete their projects toward green energy.

“We must also decarbonise our electricity generation with more solar and wind generation in the mix. We need more patient capital, long-term funding, and local funding to enable private developers to complete their projects and an enabling environment with the right supporting policies,” he said.

Africa is the least electrified in the world with over 50% of the countries in Sub-saharan Africa having electricity access rates below 50%.

Reports also indicate that 600 million people are without access to electricity, which is central for the provision of basic services, including primary health, clean water, and education.

Africa holds 6% of known global reserves of oil and gas and accounts for about 12% of global production.

Africa is the second largest exporting region with 16 percent of total exports, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Crude oil production in Africa is estimated at almost 10 million barrels per day, representing about 10 percent of global crude oil production according to the African Energy Commission.

Zimbabwe is no exception as it still heavily relies on fossil fuels, for power generation with large depositions of coal, oil, and gas.