Post by patsonmusiiwa on Oct 12, 2009 2:34:54 GMT -5
‘Zim now qualified to get funds for climate projects’
Zimbabwe will soon benefit from investment in carbon trading projects from industrialised countries following its deposition of Kyoto Protocol ratification papers at the United Nations last month.
Bureaucracy in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources resulted in delays in Zimbabwe becoming party to the Protocol as it took almost two years after Parliament ratified the Protocol for the papers to be deposited at the UN.
The two Houses of Parliament ratified the Protocol in December 2007, but ministry officials took two years to take the papers to President Mugabe for signature.
Climate Change Office national co-ordinator Mr Washington Zhakata said the country finally became a member of the Kyoto Protocol on September 28, a development that qualifies it to receive investment in carbon trading projects under the Clean Development Mechanism.
"We are starting now to work on potential projects," he said.
The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change strengthens international response to climate change.
Adopted by consensus at the third session of the Conference of Parties (COP3) in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, it commits developed countries to reduce their overall greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2012.
Developing countries do not have targets under the Protocol since their level of greenhouse gas emission is minimal owing to their low industrialisation.
In exchange for meeting their emissions targets within their borders, developed countries can invest in low cost abatement opportunities in developing countries and receive credits for the resulting emissions under a process called Clean Development Mechanism.
By arresting and reversing the upward trend in greenhouse gas emissions that started in these countries 150 years ago, the Protocol expects to move the international community closer to preventing human-made interference with the climate system.
While the CDM lowers the cost of compliance with the Protocol for developed countries, developing countries will benefit from the increased investment inflows which should advance sustainable development.
The CDM encourages developing countries to participate by promising that development priorities and initiatives will be addressed as part and parcel of the package.
This recognises that only through long- term development will countries be able to play a role in protecting the climate whose variations over the years has caused extreme weather conditions that include droughts and floods.
Mr Zhakata said the Government had so far received seven project proposals (known as idea notes) for mini-hydro projects as well as generation of power from methane gas.
He said the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management had since complied with the Protocol and established the Designated National Authority whose responsibility would be to assess the projects to ensure they were environmentally friendly, resulted in sustainable development and transfer of technology.
"We will be meeting the DNA on October 15 and 16 to give them capacity to assess the projects as well as raise their awareness on climate change," he said.
Uganda recently became the first country on the continent to receive funding from the World Bank to finance a re-forestation project aimed at increasing sequestration of carbon dioxide and production of oxygen. — New Ziana.
Zimbabwe will soon benefit from investment in carbon trading projects from industrialised countries following its deposition of Kyoto Protocol ratification papers at the United Nations last month.
Bureaucracy in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources resulted in delays in Zimbabwe becoming party to the Protocol as it took almost two years after Parliament ratified the Protocol for the papers to be deposited at the UN.
The two Houses of Parliament ratified the Protocol in December 2007, but ministry officials took two years to take the papers to President Mugabe for signature.
Climate Change Office national co-ordinator Mr Washington Zhakata said the country finally became a member of the Kyoto Protocol on September 28, a development that qualifies it to receive investment in carbon trading projects under the Clean Development Mechanism.
"We are starting now to work on potential projects," he said.
The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change strengthens international response to climate change.
Adopted by consensus at the third session of the Conference of Parties (COP3) in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, it commits developed countries to reduce their overall greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2012.
Developing countries do not have targets under the Protocol since their level of greenhouse gas emission is minimal owing to their low industrialisation.
In exchange for meeting their emissions targets within their borders, developed countries can invest in low cost abatement opportunities in developing countries and receive credits for the resulting emissions under a process called Clean Development Mechanism.
By arresting and reversing the upward trend in greenhouse gas emissions that started in these countries 150 years ago, the Protocol expects to move the international community closer to preventing human-made interference with the climate system.
While the CDM lowers the cost of compliance with the Protocol for developed countries, developing countries will benefit from the increased investment inflows which should advance sustainable development.
The CDM encourages developing countries to participate by promising that development priorities and initiatives will be addressed as part and parcel of the package.
This recognises that only through long- term development will countries be able to play a role in protecting the climate whose variations over the years has caused extreme weather conditions that include droughts and floods.
Mr Zhakata said the Government had so far received seven project proposals (known as idea notes) for mini-hydro projects as well as generation of power from methane gas.
He said the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management had since complied with the Protocol and established the Designated National Authority whose responsibility would be to assess the projects to ensure they were environmentally friendly, resulted in sustainable development and transfer of technology.
"We will be meeting the DNA on October 15 and 16 to give them capacity to assess the projects as well as raise their awareness on climate change," he said.
Uganda recently became the first country on the continent to receive funding from the World Bank to finance a re-forestation project aimed at increasing sequestration of carbon dioxide and production of oxygen. — New Ziana.