Interview with UNIDO Country Representative Mr Tichaona Mushayandebvu
Green Industry Initiative in Zimbabwe
GBG: Can you briefly introduce yourself?
TM: Well it’s a very difficult task, but basically I am the Country Representative for UNIDO in Zimbabwe. As you are aware UNIDO is one of the specialised agencies of the United Nations and we focus mostly on industrial development. I am part and parcel of a regional group or Regional Office which has got a base in Pretoria, South Africa which covers the whole SADC region. That is a little bit about myself. I joined UNIDO in 2006 I am an Old Guard you know!
GBG: What is the role of UNIDO in developing and transition countries?
TM: Specifically as I mentioned before, our mandate is really to implement what we call Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) Agenda. In Zimbabwe specifically, we are implementing a program which is based on ISID which we call
Zimbabwe Country Program for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development 2016 to 2021.This country program has got six components of different areas which we feel need to be addressed through programing and projects to enable Zimbabwe to move towards recovery of the industry and growth of the industry and increasing its competitiveness within the country and outside its borders.
GBG. Zimbabwe is implementing the Green Industry Initiative. What is the concept of Green Industry and what does it seek to achieve?
TM: The country program has got six components and component number five relates to the Green Industry Initiative and we call it business responding to climate change. This initiative started long back in 2012 when UNIDO brought together key stakeholders the Business Council for Sustainable Development of Zimbabwe (BCSDZ) and three key ministries The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Water and The Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises (SME). They realised that for Zimbabwe to compete and pursue the Industrial Development Program Agenda, we needed to look at issues to deal with ‘Greening of Industry’. From that perspective, we then developed a concept note. We then undertook a study tour of South Korea and also participated in a Green Industry Conference in China. We came back and developed a full blown program which we call ‘Green Industry Initiative ’. This initiative is the one which later became a component of the country program for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development for Zimbabwe. Basically what we want to do is to ensure that business in Zimbabwe Responds to Climate Change that is the best way we can move the industry forward with respect to climate change.
GBG: How can local companies benefit from Green Industry technologies?
TM: Well that is a mouthful. There is lot to benefit from Green Industry Technologies especially by participating in the Green Industry Program in a more structured manner through the Business Council for Sustainable Development of Zimbabwe (BCSDZ) because we know for sure that the business Council has been on the ground for the last 27 years and they really understand the issues of sustainability. So my encouragement to local companies is that first and foremost they need to come together and be part and parcel of the business council for sustainable development of Zimbabwe and then also become part and parcel of the green industry initiative which brings together the private sector, government and the international community in terms of pushing the Green Industry Initiative forward. That way I think that is the path that will really open up avenues for companies to benefit from Green Industry Technologies and Production Systems.
GBG: UNIDO is also implementing a Country Programme in Zimbabwe. How does the Country Programme complement the Green Industry Initiative?
TM: As I said earlier on, the Green Industry Initiative is one of the five components of the broader country program for industrialisation of Zimbabwe. The Green Industry is a key initiative. Its part and parcel of the country program for inclusive Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe.
GBG: Which other initiatives have you implemented in Zimbabwe and what has been the impact of these initiatives?
TM: Basically there are other five programs of the Country Program which we have been implementing since 2016. The first one relates to coming up with strategies and policies for re – industrialisation of Zimbabwe and the second component touches on issues to do with Agro – Industrial Value Chains because we believe Zimbabwe needs to pay attention to the Agro Industrial value chains which really can move the economy forward. The third initiative relates to what we call Quality Technical Infrastructure, this relates to issues that have to do with standards. These standards are cast across the board whether it’s in the area of climate change or general industrial development but they are very key for a country to move the economy forward. We need to pay attention to our quality and standard issues. The fourth area which we have been focusing on
Is called Industrial Upgrading and Modernisation of SMEs. We believe that Zimbabwe needs to upgrade to compete with local markets and regional markets. There is no way Zimbabwe is going to compete if it does not upgrade its technologies, its production systems going forward. The other area, the fifth one which is very important is on Industrial Statistics. There is a challenge in Zimbabwe because there is lack of industrial statistics and we have been collaborating with the government through ZIMSTATS so that at least we have industrial statistics to inform us of where we are and the progress in terms of recovery of industry. The other area we have been trying to support government, is local Production of Pharmaceuticals. So all this is what we have done to develop projects. We have submitted packages to the government of Zimbabwe and the government of Zimbabwe is supposed to identify funding sources so that they start implementing those projects. These projects support the Inclusive and Sustainable and Industrial Development of Zimbabwe Climate but also touch upon the Climate Change Agenda. That is what we have doing since 2016. Right now we are waiting to see how far we can engage potential funding partners for these projects.
GBG: UNIDO has now been accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). How can this accreditation increase the scaling-up and replication of climate technologies?
TM: When I talk about the Green Industry Initiative, I am not really talking about a donor driven program. I am talking about an Investment because the Green Climate Fund provides investments to boost, support companies to Green their processes or adapt production systems which are pro green. So for us this really has been a welcome development. It has been quite a long process. I still remember in 2013 when we visited South Korea on that study tour we did really engage the Green Growth Initiative. This is an institution that then later gave birth to the Green Climate Fund. So for us we are happy you know after a long process of engaging you know these powers at long last now UNIDO is going to be also involved in accessing those resources. We really looking forward to submitting application proposals apply to try and get some resources from the Green Climate Funding.
GBG: How can local industries harness standards and trade offered by your trade and capacity activities as UNIDO, in order to leverage funds from international markets?
TM: In terms of the standards we had in the country program which I spoke about a specific component or project which we wanted to boost the Quality Technical Infrastructure, that is where issues to do with standards, Measurements, Compliance Activities etc. were grouped together under the National Quality Infrastructure project which we developed together with the Government of Zimbabwe. It was through that project that we would then be able to support the local industry to ensure that the infrastructure is in place. With UNIDO, it’s just a matter of upgrading those issues to make sure they are responding to the needs of the international markets and supporting the companies to go through those standards and other trading regimes which are in place.
GBG: Zimbabwe has targets of reducing emissions by 33% by 2030 with focus in the energy sector. How can Green Industry enhance the attainment of Green Industry?
TM: Specifically, we have worked together with the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Ministry Energy and Power Development and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. One of the three projects which I was talking about under the Green industry Initiative or Green Industry Program, relates to what we call Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for Industry. We believe that program should be costed to 6 million USD over a period of 4 years. If we were to implement that program through the Business Council for Sustainable Development Zimbabwe and, Government, we would be able to achieve that target of 33% but the sticking point at the moment where do we get the funding? And this is the reason which we have submitted this project for with the Green Climate Fund for their consideration.
GBG: How is UNIDO helping scaling up technologies in renewable energy efficiency?
TM: This relates to question number 9. We are a UN organisation and we work with, Government of Zimbabwe, private sector and parastatals like ZESA. We had a very successful pilot project two to three years ago when we received support from an organisation called Climate Technology Centre Network (CTCN) which is a UNIDO owned entity. That initiative gave us the information to see the opportunities for industry to move towards Renewable Energy.
GBG: According to UNIDO which policies would favour Industrial development in developing and transitioning countries?
TM: That is a very difficult question. The policy depends on the government through key ministries like the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Finance. We believe that this is an issue which is very pertinent. This is why I said component number one of the country program for inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development for Zimbabwe is on supporting government to come up with key strategies and policies. As UNIDO we don’t want to be prescriptive because each country has got its own different context and it is up to the country working together with the business associations which relates to industrial issues to come up with the policies in terms of pushing the industrial agenda forward. Basically this is the approach which we take as UNIDO. The policy should not just be dropped into a country. The country needs to be empowered so that they will able to come up with policies that are favourable to industrial development.
GBG: What are the barriers to Industrial development in these countries?
TM: In Africa there three key barriers which I see. First and foremost is the issue to do with appropriate strategies and policies. Very few countries have taken the industrial development strategy seriously like what China and the other Asian countries have done in the past 50 years. The issue of access to energy. Without energy forget about industrialisation. You can’t move forward. Thirdly, it’s about markets. They should be able absorb production that is coming from industry. Fourthly, it’s about throughput. Industry cannot be in a vacuum. You need to have the backwards and forwards in place. Lastly it’s about finance. I don’t think industrial development will happen through the support of grants or donations from donors or from other groups. Industrial development is pushed by structured Investments.
GBG: You have just completed a study on the impact of COVID-19 on industry. Can you shed more light on the outcomes of this study?
TM: Basically it’s not really on COVID -19. What we have done is a comprehensive study on the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe going back thirty years and we have shown how Zimbabwe is comparing with other countries like Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. It’s about industrial development and how it has panned out. We have made some suggestions as UN so that we raise funding so that we do an assessment on COVID -19 as industry but we haven’t done something specifically on impact of COVID-19 on industry.
GBG: What are the challenges and opportunities in bolstering the economy and simultaneously building a climate-compatible future?
TM: Opportunities are great. As you are aware the climate change agenda is becoming very topical. Industry is subdued hence it is our recommendation that there is need to strengthen attention to industry to avoid becoming a trading destination for cheap goods. I think this is a very good time to revisit the industrialisation agenda. We have tried to make a case within the framework National Development Strategy 2021 to 2026.
We have also made some suggestions that there is need to pay attention to the industrial development agenda in order to create the formal sector jobs we need in Zimbabwe. It is also essential for us to create export earnings from value added goods. There is no other way we can attract investments into the formal production sector if we don’t really push the industrial development agenda.
