Climate Bill on cards, Speaker 

Source: Climate Bill on cards, Speaker | The Herald

Advocate Mudenda

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe is crafting the Climate Change Bill, a legal instrument aimed at mitigating the effects of the phenomenon of climate change through financing, regulating gas emissions in greenhouses among other measures it will curb, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said.

He said it was the role of Parliaments in their oversight role, the world over to ensure that the Executive embrace the best practices in reducing gas emissions have better waste management methodologies and mainstream climate-related legislation.

Adv Mudenda said this in Bali, Indonesia where he is attending the 144 Assembly of International Parliamentary Union that brings together legislators across the globe.

The conference is running under the theme “Getting to Zero: Mobilising Parliaments to Act on Climate Change.”

“Zimbabwe’s response measures to climate change are guided by the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, Respective Capabilities and Climate Justice. In this respect, Zimbabwe has raised its commitment to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 33% to 40% per capita by 2030 in its 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions as guided by the implementation of the Low Emission Development Strategy,” he said.

“This has been bolstered by Zimbabwe’s mainstreaming of the climate change phenomenon in its National Development Strategy (2021-2025). Additionally, Zimbabwe is crafting a comprehensive Climate Change Bill whose focus is climate financing, measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, compliance, reporting and verification matrix.”

He said some of the best practices that Parliaments could adopt in greenhouse gas emissions reduction towards the net-zero agenda, include legislating towards incentivizing green infrastructure project implementation, better waste management methodologies.

“In addition, mainstreaming of climate change-related legislation in order to expedite the transition to clean and renewable energy development is necessary,” he said.

Adv Mudenda said the phenomenon of climate change has intensified globally, progressing at a faster rate than initially projected by scientists.

“Climate-induced calamities are on the increase as witnessed by unprecedented weather patterns and catastrophic droughts as well as the devastating cyclones. To that end, our responses as Parliaments should be intensified by enacting appropriate legislation for mitigatory measurements.”

“Heads of State and Government are urged to assiduously increase their Nationally Determined Contributions, ambitions and climate actions towards securing Net Zero emissions. In so doing, they would keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise threshold within reach. To this end, Parliaments should use their constitutional mandates to ensure that governments meet their mitigatory targets unequivocally through robust oversight on the Executive.”

He called for member countries to ensure compliance with international treaties on climate change.

“To this end, oversight on all mitigation projects and budget allocations must be effectively implemented by Parliaments. Similarly, Zimbabwe launched its National Climate Fund in 2021, primarily to give climate action direction and sustainability,” he said.

Earlier this month, Adv Mudenda met the Indonesia ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Dewa Juniarta Sastrawan where they discussed how to deepen cooperation.

The diplomat had also paid Adv Mudenda a courtesy call to officially invite him to Bali for the conference as the host country.