Cabinet has considered and approved the Principles of the Climate Change Management Bill which is set to provide for the national climate change response through integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in development planning and budgeting processes. It will also provide for the establishment of the Designated National Authority (DNA) and the National Climate Fund.
In a move aimed at addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change, Cabinet has approved the Principles of the Climate Change Management Bill. The bill is set to play a pivotal role in the national climate change response, ushering in a comprehensive framework for the integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies into the country’s development planning and budgeting processes.
Speaking during a post Cabinet press briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said the legislation would regulate greenhouse emissions. “The nation is informed that the Climate Change Management Bill will provide for the national climate change response through integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in development planning and budgeting processes. The proposed Bill will provide for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, facilitate low carbon development technologies and carbon trading as well as putting in place measures to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances.
“The proposed Bill will create obligations for the public and private sector stakeholders to collect, archive and share activity data that is utilized in the compilation of national greenhouse gas inventories, climate risk and vulnerability impacts. The Bill will also provide for the establishment of the Designated National Authority (DNA) and the National Climate Fund to support the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation actions provided for in the National Climate Policy,” said Muswere
He said financing for the National Climate Fund is expected to come from a variety of sources, including a percentage of the proceeds from carbon credits trading. “The Fund will be financed by a percentage of the proceeds from carbon credits trading, the fiscus, and multilateral climate finance mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund among others. Cabinet advises that the Bill seeks to align with Section 73 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which provides for environmental rights, emphasises on the need to have the environment protected for present and future generations through legislative and other measures.
“Consistent with the Paris Agreement and Montreal Protocol obligations on emissions reporting, the Bill will establish and operationalize a domestic mechanism for Measurement, Reporting and Verification to enable the country to report to the Conference of Parties (COP) on the level of emissions by which compliance to those agreements will be measured,” he said
The Minister highlighted that the Bill seeks to integrate gender perspectives in climate change planning and policy formulation, including the different experiences of men and women into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
