This Technology Transfer Advances Zimbabwe's
- Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce its GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by 33% below the projected Business As Usual energy emissions per capita by 2030, as well as to promote efficient water use practises in various sectors of the economy.
Context
Due to effects of climate change, Zimbabwe has already started to experience water scarcity with effects on the industrial production processes and energy sectors. This unsustainable consumption of water resources is not sustainable given the dwindling water resources due to climate change. Climate change adaptation through efficient water utilisation in industry is a possible strategy that could ensure improved coping with the effects of climate change through improved production technologies and improved water recycling capability in industry. Major effort needs to be made in all stakeholder groups: company, government and public to raise awareness of the national importance of improved water management in industry, and its relevance to corporate goals.
Although most Zimbabwean companies claim to be energy and water efficient in their production processes, there is limited monitoring and measurement of water and energy intensity and comparison with international benchmarks. In general the practice of energy auditing, water foot printing and systematic emission reduction programmes are very low in most companies except for the purposes of meeting regulations.
Therefore, a Green Industry Initiative (GII) formulated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with Business Council for Sustainable Development Zimbabwe (BCSDZ) and Government of Zimbabwe offers opportunities for achieving an inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Zimbabwe through minimising energy intensity and specific water consumption in manufacturing enterprises. The Green Industry Project seeks to promote reduction of Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and facilitate Low-Carbon Green Growth in the industrial production sector through promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, industrial energy efficiency, emissions reduction and renewable energy technologies, to include waste to energy projects.
The GII is a public/private partnership initiative between the Government of Zimbabwe, the BCSDZ and UNIDO. The GIP agenda for Zimbabwe focuses on greening existing industries and creating new green industries which are energy and water efficient. The project will address both climate change mitigation and adaptation through improving energy efficiency, adoption of renewable energy technologies for productive uses efficient utilization of water resources as a climate change adaptation strategy.
Assistance Requested
The CTCN is requested to facilitate technical assistance in the field of industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy technology for productive uses and promoting efficient water utilization at industrial level in Zimbabwe through carrying out the following
- Technical Guidance on carrying out preliminary industrial energy and water audits for 10 demonstration companies to determine resource productivity of Zimbabwean firms and share results through 3 regional BCSDZ conferences.
- Technical Guidance on assessing needs for development and implementation of ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems at company level and share results through 3 BCSDZ workshops.
- Technical assistance in chemical and wastewater management for the leather sector to meet EMA requirements
- Awareness on the importance of water and mainstreaming water management and resource efficiency in business strategy
- Establishing the Green Industry Networking Facility (GINF) to enable networking of GI pilots, information exchange and knowledge management in industrial energy efficiency and efficient water utilisation
Relevant Technologies and Approaches
- Mitigation in the textiles and leather industry
- Water efficiency in industry
- Energy planning
Expected Benefits
The technical assistance will result in improved capacity to develop and implement energy efficiency at corporate level. In the short term the project will facilitate a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and in the long term minimize the impacts of climate change. The project will in the long term improve the competitiveness of SMEs in selected industrial sectors and increase their profitability as a result of resource savings. An increased uptake of renewable energy technologies at industrial level will help to reduce emissions in line with the need to achieve the targets set in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The improved water savings at industrial levels will facilitate improved water availability in the long term and ensure reduction in effluent due to minimization of water losses. Companies also stand to benefit through financial savings from energy and water savings at industrial levels. Other benefits include the improved occupational health and safety due to improved housekeeping of factories and minimization of water spillages. The project will ensure that a positive impact on human health, water and sanitation due to increased water availability is achieved in a mutually reinforcing manner. The most significant benefit is that the project will reduce water and energy intensity of Zimbabwean industries and ensure that other competing sectors requiring the resources e.g. agriculture, households and institutions can have access resources.
