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Fairness Moyanana, Hwange Correspondent 

GOVERNMENT has begun a process of creating a sustainable data collection and reporting system on greenhouse gases emissions as part of compliance with international obligations as the country moves towards a green economy.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, said this during a recent dialogue meeting with stakeholders in the energy sector in Hwange.

“We are in the process of creating a sustainable system for the collection and reporting of data to the Government through the Climate Change Management Department and Zimstat for compilation of an inventory of greenhouse gases for compliance with international obligations as well as for developmental planning by central government towards a green economy as enshrined in the Vision 2030,” he said.

“In the near future, we shall provide you with the template for periodic reporting of data that will be used to quantify greenhouse gases.

“The Government will maintain the confidentiality of the data shared for compliance purposes and will be aggregated per sector in the report. For example, total emissions per sector will be reported and not estimated by company.”

Mr Munodawafa said it was the ministry’s drive to create a computer based communication system that links to an information portal at the ministry in order to effectively manage emissions.

The development comes at a time when the international community is calling for the phasing out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in refrigeration and air-conditioning, coal use, petroleum and diesel driven vehicles in favour of electric vehicles. Industries are some of the largest consumers of HCFCs and HFCs in the country, which contribute to both the ozone layer depletion and global warming.

As such, the Permanent Secretary said the dialogue was meant to create awareness on the country’s pathways towards a green economy and its obligation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which speaks on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.

“This engagement will touch upon Zimbabwe’s national commitments to the Paris Agreement on Change, also known as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in which the country is expected to reduce its emissions by 33 percent per capita by the year 2030 in the energy sector,” he said.

“All countries are expected to expand the scope of their greenhouse gas emission reductions to become economy-wide. This implies that as we review the current target there is need to consider options for emissions reductions beyond the energy sector to agriculture, waste, forestry, industrial processes and product use.”

Mr Munodawafa said the integration of these sectors in emission reduction was expected to transform the country to a low carbon development pathway.

The country’s Low Emission Development Strategy (2020-2050) that was developed by Government provides sector specific options for climate change mitigation with the implemented options reducing emissions, cost of production and enhance competitiveness in the long run.

Government was also following up on the energy and water use efficiency audits that were carried out across the country including major industries in Matabeleland region with proposed recommendations for going green.

Meanwhile, Mr Munodawafa handed over cylinders for use in recovering contaminated refrigerants from refrigeration and air-conditioning appliances to Hwange Colliery Company Limited and Zimbabwe Power Company.