Govt outlaws greenhouse gas imports

GOVERNMENT has enacted legislation outlawing the importation of substances and machinery that contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer through greenhouse gas emissions.

Zimbabwe’s Long-term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy ( LED) (2020-2050) projects that economic development will drive Zimbabwe’s Business-As-Usual ( BAU) emissions of greenhouse gases ( GHG).

The LED strategy estimates emissions from economic activities will increase from 36,6 MtCO2e (Metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2020 to 65,3 MtCO2e in 2050 (a doubling over this period).

Currently, energy use is the country’s largest source of GHG emissions. The sector’s emissions are expected to increase to 26,5 MtCO2e in 2030 and 37,5 MtCO2e in 2050 with increasing demand for power generation, transport and other uses of fossil fuels.

“The fastest growth and overall contribution is expected to come from power generation, in particular with the official planned expansion of thermal power generation over the coming decade,” the Government says in its LED strategy document.

The Government, private sector and civil society have identified 21 mitigation measures including large hydropower projects (Batoka and Devils George) accompanied by other renewable energy measures such as the introduction of solar systems at the commercial and residential scale.

However, environmentalists in Zimbabwe have previously rebuked the Government especially after President Mnangagwa’s address at the COP26 conference in Scotland, where he pledged the government’s commitment to fighting climate change.

Environmentalists claimed the Government was parceling out land to companies, mainly Chinese, to mine coal for power generation, which governments and environmentalists globally wanted to be phased out to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Zimbabwe, though, remains extensively dependent on coal for nearly half its power, and will soon commission the last of two 300-megawatt State-owned coal-fired power plants to beat a crippling energy crisis.

It has a pipeline of planned coal power and other fossil fuel projects designed to increase domestic power projects and end a perennial deficit. The old existing 920MW state thermal plant now manages just about 450MW due to aged equipment.

Zimbabwe’s single largest power and clean energy plant, the 1050 megawatts ( MW) Kariba South hydropower station, is generating a significantly curtailed scale due to low water levels in the Kariba Dam.

The mineral-rich Southern African country, has also issued Australia Stock Exchange-listed

Invictus licences to explore for potentially billions of barrels in oil and gas in Cahora Bassa Basin, in the north of the country.

While the African Development Bank is spearheading efforts to unlock Africa’s vast renewable energy potential, with 86 percent of its power generation investments in renewables and a ban on coal energy projects, its president Akinumwi Adesina, recently insisted that natural gas (a fossil fuel) should be a crucial part of Africa’s diversified energy mix to guarantee a secure energy supply for industries and residences.

The main greenhouse gases whose concentrations are rising are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrochlorofluorocarbons ( HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons ( HFCs) and ozone in the lower atmosphere.

A runaway greenhouse effect occurs when a planet’s atmosphere contains greenhouse gas in an amount sufficient to block thermal radiation from leaving the planet, preventing the planet from cooling and from having liquid water on its surface.

To curtail pollution, Zimbabwe has gazetted the Environmental Management (Prohibition and Control of Ozone Depleting Substances, Greenhouse Gases, Ozone Depleting Substances and Greenhouse Gases Dependent Equipment) Regulations, 2023.

The regulations were enacted and gazetted by the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, in terms of provisions of section 140(2)(b) of the Environmental Management Act.

“These regulations may be cited as the Environmental Management (Prohibition and Control of Ozone Depleting Substances, Greenhouse Gases, Ozone Depleting Substance Dependent Equipment and Greenhouse Gases Dependent Equipment) Regulations, 2023,” says an excerpt of the Government gazette on the new statutory provisions.

The regulations will apply to private and public individuals, industrial and commercial importers, exporters, producers and consumers of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases.

In terms of the new law, no person shall import into Zimbabwe, any substances listed, and equipment or appliance, which uses or whose continuous function relies on the substances banned by the regulations.

Further, the legislation outlaws the importation into Zimbabwe of any equipment or appliance which uses or whose continuous function relies on Dichlorofluoromethane ( HCFC- 22).

“Any person who contravenes subsections (1) and (2) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both such fine and such imprisonment,” part of the regulations reads.

The court convicting a person of an offence under provisions of the new regulations may declare any ozone-depleting substances, greenhouse gases, greenhouse gas-dependent equipment or ozone-depleting substance-dependent equipment in respect of which the offence has been committed, to be forfeited to the State.

Any ozone-depleting substance, greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance or greenhouse gas-dependent equipment forfeited in terms of the new law shall be destroyed or otherwise dealt with as the relevant authorities may direct.

The licence of any person or entity convicted in contravention of the law may be terminated by the Secretary for Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality or any person so delegated.

Any person who wishes to import or export ozone-depleting substance, greenhouse gas, ozone-depleting substance dependent equipment or greenhouse gas-dependent equipment or any chemical listed shall respond to the Ozone Office’s advertisement and apply through the established online system on the Government E-Services portal. Any person who wishes to transport ozone-depleting substances, greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances dependent equipment or greenhouse gas-dependent equipment or any substances as provided for in the law in transit to neighbouring countries shall apply for permission as provided by the law.

Efforts to get a comment from Environment, Climate and Tourism Hospitality Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, were fruitless by the time of going print as the minister was said to be engaged in a marathon meeting.

But at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021, President Mnangagwa pledged Zimbabwe’s cooperation in the fight against climate change and its negative impacts.

“Zimbabwe has revised its nationally determined contributions, a committed conditional 40 percent per capita greenhouse gas emissions reduction target by 2030. Comprehensive strategies are being implemented towards mainstreaming climate change adaptation and resilience across all sectors of our economy,” President Mnangagwa said.

But environmentalists have hitherto questioned the government’s sincerity arguing it was indicating right and turning left as it is busy giving out land to companies to mine coal for energy use.

This also comes at a time when environmentalists in Zimbabwe are asking the government to revoke an exploration license recently awarded to a Chinese company to mine coal for energy use.

The Center for Natural Resource Governance is one of the organisations opposing the license. The group promotes green energy and fears that exploration for coal will cause greater deforestation.

Henry Nyapokoto, the programme manager for the group, is on record saying the messages from the Government of Zimbabwe ran contrary to what is obtained on the ground.

“...the government has been in an overdrive mode to promote mining everywhere in order to reach the US$ 12 billion mining economy.

“In fact, it won’t (make) ecological sense for Zimbabwe to attain a US$ 12 billion economy based on bad models of production, bad consumption, that leaves a huge ecological footprint or a legacy of an ecological disaster. We all understand that mining comes with the destruction of forests that serve as carbon sinks and habitats for wildlife,” Nyapokoto was quoted as saying in a media interview.

However, at the Cop27climate conference in Egypt last year, President Mnangagwa said “Those most responsible for the climate crisis must listen and prioritise climate finance to help prevent disasters and climate victims recover”. Zimbabwe’s head of State challenged developed nations to meet their end of the bargain saying “Commitments we have made and continue to make, can only make a difference when we act on them”.

He reiterated his government’s commitment to fighting climate change, noting that the agriculture sector which was key to Zimbabwe’s economy, faced a serious threat from climate change.

“My government is implementing various programmes, including extensive dam construction projects towards climate change adaptation and mitigation for sustainable food and nutrition security.

“Further, Zimbabwe is expanding the production and use of renewable energy. Zimbabwe will see greenhouse gas emissions curbed to 44,7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030. My country has also integrated gender issues in the Revised Nationally Determined Contributions. Greater progress would be made on our climate goals were it not for the albatross of illegal economic sanctions imposed on our country.

“We demand the immediate lifting of these unwarranted and punitive sanctions,” he said.