Harare, Zimbabwe, 3 September 2026 — Zimbabwe, the United Nations System in Zimbabwe and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have called for accelerated and action-oriented green industrialisation across Southern Africa, emphasising the need to move beyond policy declarations towards practical, investment-ready solutions that create decent and sustainable jobs, strengthen regional value chains, promote innovation and build climate-resilient economies.
The call was made during the National Workshop to validate the Regional Studies on Innovative Climate Action to Accelerate Green Industrialisation in Southern Africa, held in Harare from 3–4 September 2026. The two-day workshop is co-hosted by ECA and the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and brings together government, the local private sector, micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), academia, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders.
Opening the workshop, Ambassador Tadeous T. Chifamba, Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce, in remarks delivered by Mrs Netai Loice Magade, Director, Industry, said climate change is already disrupting agriculture, energy, trade and livelihoods. He described green industrialisation as an economic transformation and survival strategy, calling for a shift from extract-and-export models towards manufacturing, beneficiation and value addition in agriculture and strategic minerals.
“Green industrialisation is not an eco-friendly option; it is an economic survival strategy. We must decouple manufacturing growth from resource depletion and high-emission energy profiles.” — Ambassador Chifamba emphasized.
The Government highlighted the importance of technology transfer, local innovation, circular-economy value chains, renewable energy and stronger engineering capabilities in supporting the greening agenda. It called for the creation of an enabling policy environment, the introduction of fiscal incentives, reduction in regulatory burdens and better access to green finance for MSMEs, alongside regional alignment through the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to support green industrial development.
The United Nations reaffirmed its support for Zimbabwe’s transition to a greener, more inclusive and resilient economy. Speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator Ms Rosemary Kalapurakal, Mr Innocent Madziva, UNIDO Country Representative, said the green transition must create opportunities for women and men, young people, entrepreneurs, workers, farmers and communities, while ensuring MSMEs are not left behind. He stressed that government, business, finance, academia, civil society and communities must work together to mobilise investment and develop locally relevant solutions.
ECA, meanwhile, called for accelerated action to use green industrialisation as a pathway to strengthen productive capacity, create sustainable and decent jobs, foster innovation and build climate-resilient economies across Southern Africa. Speaking on behalf of Ms Eunice Kamwendo, Director of ECA’s Subregional Office for Southern Africa, Ms Olayinka Bandele, Chief of the Inclusive Industrialisation Section, noted that climate variability is already affecting energy security, agricultural productivity, food systems and manufacturing output, undermining livelihoods and macroeconomic stability.
ECA stressed that climate action through green industrialization should also be viewed as an opportunity for structural economic transformation. Green industrialisation can modernise productive sectors, improve resource efficiency, foster innovation, and build resilient, low-carbon regional value chains through green industrial policies, clean-energy integration, and circular-economy principles.
For Zimbabwe, ECA underlined that Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) 2026–2030 as important platforms for strengthening linkages between industrial competitiveness, value addition, job creation, climate action and green growth. Priority areas under this endeavour include local beneficiation, industrial energy transition, inclusive MSME participation in circular value chains and expanded regional and continental trade through AfCFTA.
The four studies under review and validation during the two days cover green industrial policy, industrial upgrading, energy-transition pathways, and private-sector and MSME participation in the circular economy. Participants are reviewing the findings against Zimbabwe’s realities and developing practical recommendations for a National Policy Brief on Green Industrialisation.
The Zimbabwean Government and the United Nations family committed to continued collaboration to convert both, evidence from the studies and the policy ambition into investment, sustainable jobs, innovation, value addition, and tangible improvements in livelihoods across Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.
Media Contact
Bedson Nyoni
Senior Information Management Assistant
ECA Subregional Office for Southern Africa
Email: nyonib@un.org
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
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Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
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