Zim Urged To Harness Energy Across All Key Economic Sectors

By Shingirai Vambe

Zimbabwe  is currently taking climate action in the areas of adaptation and mitigation by developing its Forth National Communications and first Biennail Update report  (BUR1), National Energy Efficiency Policy (NIP) while updating its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

It is the Climate Change Management Department (CCMD)’s thrust to build resilience and contributing towards reduction of greenhouse gases which are drivers of Climate Change.

Zimbabwe being part to United Nations framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC) is obliged to submit a National Communications (NC) after every four years, BUR every two years, and supposed to update it NDC by the end of 2020.

In line with these requirements CCMD is in the process of building capacity across sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Industry, Forestry and Waste sector.

Through the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) , CCMD organised a week long workshop in Mashonaland West, with relevant stakeholders from  the energy sector coming in their numbers for capacity building.

Energy Management and Climate Change Mitigation Consultant, Mr Tendayi Marowa responsible for estimation of energy sector emissions facilitated the workshop, and has said,  “Energy efficiency improvement, in addition to adoption of renewable energy technologies will go a long way in alleviating the energy shortages while reducing green house gas emissions”.

The development is a fundamental requirement for addressing climate change and mankind’s sustainable development, he added.

Marowa told delegates in Kadoma that development and effective implementation of policies is key to solving our energy crisis while contributing towards the achievement of international goal of limiting the temperature rise by more than 1.5⁰c above the pre-industrial levels.

 

After an extensive, global consensus is reached, all countries in the world should build a strategic plan around the goal of low-carbon and clean energy development, to expedite changes in the mode of energy development and increase the share of clear energy, with concerted efforts to achieve more efficient development and utilization of clean energy globally.

Marowa however highlighted that energy consumption per capita in Zimbabwe is around 40% of the global average showing that we are an energy poor nation and the energy Zimbabwe uses to generate a GDP dollar is 60-80% more than that of the global average resulting to wasteful energy utilization.

The objective to this workshop was to impart energy saving skills , with various key stakeholders such as the ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA)  Ministry of Finance, Transport, Industry, Agriculture, Energy and Power development, University students, lecturers, to mention just a few.

Director of International Tourism, Douglas Mavhembu, implored the training and its relevance to his ministry  highlighting the need to capacitate youths, researchers and graduates whilst appreciating government’s efforts in bringing up innovation centres.

One of the low hanging fruits, is the banning of incandescent bulbs with very low efficient levels of around 5% and as a policy the nation migrated to energy savers and now preferring light emitting diode (LED) bulbs as stated in statutory instrument 21 of 2017 and that of 128 of 2005 thus raising awareness to all Zimbabweans to be conscious on their domestic gadgets which uses electricity.

The Climate Change Management Department’s target is to equip the communication focal points to enable the dissemination of information through understanding the efficient way of using energy while promoting institutions to work towards new inventions which promote the low emission development strategy, Climate Change mitigation expert, (CCMD) Lawrence Mashungu said.

Throughout the history of global energy development, energy transition has exhibited two major trends. One is the trend toward steadily higher energy intensity from firewood and coal to oil, natural gas, and electric power. Despite being low intensity energy sources by nature, clean energy like hydro, wind and solar can become high intensity energy after transformation into electricity as an energy source of high quality, accessible, and efficient with low green house gases.

Energy efficiency improvement is the easiest, the quickest and the cheapest way of boosting energy supply and reducing greenhouse has emissions.

Marowa urged stakeholders to submit their projects for inclusion in the national communication and BUR which will help the country achieve its international obligations. In the first NDC, submitted in 2015, committed to reduce its energy sector emissions per capita by 33% below business as usual scenario by 2030.

Tariro Chipepera Acting Director in the Small to Medium Enterprises told delegates that their ministry is already working on supporting women and youths while gender called in in for inclusion for gender balance in the NDCs for action gender plan.

“In the current NDC that is currently under review, gender is also being mainstreamed in all four sectors namely Energy, Industry Processes and Product Use (IPPU), Agriculture, Forestry, And Other Land Use (AFOLU)”.

She further added that the process will come up with gender analysis report and two key gender mainstreaming tools, namely the gender action plan and the Gender training manual under climate change.

“This is to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in the NDCs and that the interventions are gender sensitive” she added

Creation of employment and innovation, the energy sector has vast opportunities, if taped,  may hit the market with  locally manufactured products which use renewable energy if it’s in abundance while it is expensive and inefficient to use grid electricity.

In line with the commemoration of the international day of preservation of the ozone layer (World Ozone Day) Parties met in Kigali Rwanda in 2016 agreed to replace all Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs) in refrigeration and air conditioning mainly found in hotels, though they are ozone friendly, (HFCs) are potent greenhouse gases that significantly cause global warming.

In his statement on the World Ozone day commemorations , the minister of Environment, Climate, tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said “the Montreal Protocol has significantly contributed to the mitigation of climate change by averting the emissions of more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere by simply phasing out Ozone depleting substance such as CFCs and (HCFCs)

Expert and officer in the Ministry of Local Government, Anna Takaendesa, highlighted the need to have a new innovative and modern equipment for water pumping purposes in all Zimbabwe’s local authorities,  as most pumps where acquired between 1970s and 1990s which may not suite the current  national strategy of using and managing energy in a smart way.

Institutions who attended the 5 day workshop highlighted how they are incorporating the smart agriculture in the learners curriculum, using the top bottom approach to raise awareness from all educational levels.

Globally Climate Change is also causing havoc in  developed countries, this came at a time when  wildfires are destroying virgin forest, properties, livestock, and human life was lost, while hurricane sally has also affected other areas, these two vagaries have affected the eco-system in the United States of America this as a result of Climate Change. Meanwhile the European Union has updated its target from 40% to 55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.