The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) calls on the Zambian government to prioritize the finalization of the Climate Change Bill, as a critical step towards addressing the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
CTPD notes while climate change has been identified as a significant development challenge in the 8th National Development Plan (8NDP), progress in implementing key measures has been hampered by institutional inefficiencies, inadequate funding, and the absence of a binding legal framework.
The proposed Climate Change Bill presents an essential opportunity to overcome these obstacles by providing a comprehensive legal mandate for climate action in Zambia. One notable challenge has been the harmonization of issues surrounding carbon markets. However,with the revised National Forestry Policy in the process of being finalized, CTPD urges the government to expedite the finalization of the Climate Change Bill.
CTPD anticipates that the climate change legislation will address the following:
Institutional Coordination: The existing climate change governance structure struggles to coordinate climate action across sectors. Legislation can address this fragmented approach by establishing a unified body to coordinate climate-related actions across various sectors.
Domestic Resource Mobilization: Zambia lacks legislation that ties a specific spending threshold to climate action. Thus, climate change activities remain vulnerable to low and irregular budgetary allocations and excessive reliance on external support. Climate change legislation will encourage increased domestic funding for climate initiatives through mechanisms such as a Climate Change Fund.
Stakeholder Engagement: The legislation can mandate inclusive processes to ensure that civil society, local communities, and the private sector are actively involved in climate decision-making.CTPD urges the government to expedite the legislative process of the Climate Change Bill to ensure that national plans and measures aligns with and ensure that the final version of the Climate Change Act aligns with international best practices and addresses Zambia’s specific needs.
Source: Lusakatimes
