"Sanctions Worsening Climate Change In Zimbabwe"
A local environmental conservation organisation says sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by some western countries are worsening climate change in the country.
The Director of Green Shango Environmental Trust based in Hwange, Daniel Sithole, said the issue of sanctions on Zimbabwe should be included on the agenda at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP27) to be held from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Sithole argued that Zimbabwe is forced to rely on fossil fuels instead of investing in green energy due to sanctions. He said:
Sanctions exacerbate climate change thereby compelling sanctioned countries like Zimbabwe to rely heavily on fossil fuels for their economic turnaround which is against the Paris Agreement.
As we head towards COP27, we wish this could be top of the agenda for sanctions on Zimbabwe to be lifted.
… We have the second-largest elephant population in the world after Botswana. We have a rich biodiversity with thriving ecosystem services making us one of the most lucrative destinations to visit in terms of tourism.
However, sanctions brew a negative narrative that blocks funding for our conservation, and this fuels human-wildlife conflict.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Paris Agreement to end coal emissions by 2030 but sanctions work against such ambitions as the country suffers limited funding for renewable energy.
As we approach COP27, we want it known that climate change is real and affects the economy, and leaves environmentalists with a mammoth task in pursuit of advocacy for sustainable development.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change and it covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. | Chronicle
