Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Eng. Collins Nzovu, MPMinister of Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Eng. Collins Nzovu, MP
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His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, has assured Commonwealth Member States of his personal and Zambian Government’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

President Hichilema said this in remarks delivered on his behalf by the Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Eng. Collins Nzovu, MP, during a Commonwealth side-event on “Commonwealth Call for Living Lands” at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday.

The President said conservation of biodiversity that constitutes natural capital was critical to ensuring that Zambia achieves its aspirations of a green economy and attainment of socio-economic development for all.

Endowed with abundant fauna and flora, taking biodiversity conservation very seriously is a priority for Zambia he explained.

“I wish to share with you my Government’s determination to ensure that the green economy, which entails low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive approach drives the economic transformation and recovery that we so desperately need,” said President Hichilema through the Minister. “To achieve that, we have created a dedicated Ministry of Green Economy and Environment bringing together functions on our forests, climate change, meteorology biosafety and environmental protection in general.”

He expressed optimism that by bringing interrelated and critical functions in one single ministry, that would promote a development path that considers natural capital as a critical economic asset and a source of benefit especially for poor people whose livelihoods depends on natural resources.

He said it was expected that the re-alignments of portfolio functions would enhance green investments that would spur renewable energy and resource efficiency, prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

“However, we are constrained to achieve most of these targets in time due to inadequate financial resources, making it difficult for us to make our fair contribution to global efforts in addressing these multiple challenges,” President Hichilema said.

The President added: “It is equally important that our actions on biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change result in improved socio-economic impacts on people’s livelihoods and our nations.”

President Hichilema said Zambia was currently engaged with the global community in formulating a new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and was expectant it would soon be achieved.

Zambia has domesticated the Aichi Targets on Biodiversity and has been implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2015 with a view to contribute to the attainment of the Convention on Biological Diversity and foster economic development.

The COP26 summit has brought Heads of State and Government and other parties together to accelerate action towards the attainment of Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

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