Chasing climate goals in a sanctions-targeted country

COP15 adopts biodiversity plan to protect 30% of land and water by 2030For Madumira, the issues go beyond sanctions."While Zimbabwe has cited sanctions for the slow uptake of foreign direct investment, human rights and governance issues have impacted how the country attracts investors in critical areas such as hydro-power and renewable energy," he says."Investment promotion in the renewable energy sector is low, and what we have seen is that climate change impact is higher than the pace we are moving to address these issues," Madumira adds.For Madumira, addressing climate change is an uphill task as Zimbabwe already faces many economic and political challenges. The establishment of a loss and damage fund was agreed to at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27), focusing particularly on vulnerable countries.For Zimbabwean smallholders like Gilbert Mponda, a farmer in the country's drought-prone southwest, COP27 could have offered hope. All he wants is the financing required to turn to better farming methods, including irrigation."What we need now is not just good rains but what to do when there are no rains," says Mponda. Newsletter Weekly Climate Future Weekly An overview of the challenges and opportunities of the climate crisis, as it changes the world we know. Sign up

While the government claims that sanctions frustrate Zimbabwe's development plans, some believe the ruling party is using the restrictive measures as an excuse for its failures.Tapiwa Gomo, an independent climate finance researcher, believes commitment to Zimbabwe's climate programmes goes beyond money and sanctions."While funding is necessary, not everything requires money," says Gomo."In Zimbabwe, one of the most effective ways to address this is to rethink how to effectively and productively use water in the Zambezi River and other water resources for food production, water supply and energy generation," Gomo adds. Even for those countries not on anyone's sanctions list, questions remain about the definition of "particularly vulnerable".Zhakata believes all developing countries are vulnerable to climate change, and the criteria for selecting beneficiaries should be revised. He is also not confident that high-emitting countries will honour their latest climate finance commitment, as they failed to meet a 2009 pledge to deliver US$100 billion a year to help poorer countries deal with climate change."What is the guarantee that these funds will be deposited?" he asks. - bird story agency