LECTURE 2

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL

BODIES
 Introduction
• Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which
decisions are implemented (or not implemented).
• Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance,
international governance, national governance and local governance.
• Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level of
government but these generally include NGOs, political parties, the military
etc.
• Governance can be good or bad.
 Introduction
• A government can help to protect environmental interests and help to encourage
more environmentally sustainable economic development through its policies.
• The final controlling authority in most of the issues related to the environment is
the government itself.
• For example, most of the thermal power plants are owned by the government and
also only the government can build dams, roads, railways, etc. Industrial or any
other related activity cannot start without the approval of the government.
• Therefore, the government has to apply various checks and controls so that the
environment is managed properly.
 Introduction cont.
• In recent years, there has been a growing awareness on the part of both
national governments and multinational institutions that it is impossible to
separate economic and social development issues from environmental
concerns.
• In many cases, rapid urbanization and the associated effects of population
growth and uncontrolled industrial development have tended to undermine
the natural resource base required for long-term sustainable development.
 Introduction cont.
• The ever-deepening interconnection between the environment and
development both within and across borders leads to the conclusion that
governments must begin to adopt a more integrated and coordinated
approach to development and ensure that development, in future, is
compatible with the need to protect and improve the environment.
• National governments bear a large share of the responsibility for appropriate
large-scale environmental policy and action within their jurisdictions.
 Introduction cont.
• Since a growing number of environmental problems are regional and/or
global in nature, cooperation is also necessary among nations, and
supportive action at the international level is required.
• Environmental management strategies are designed to control
environmental degradation, regulate exploitation to acceptable limits and
preserve the natural resource base within the context of overall national
economic and social development objectives.
 Role of government in EM
• Governments are often ascribed a pivotal role in protecting the environment,
for instance, through the implementation of environmental policies that
protect the environment directly or solve environmental collective action
problems.
• The prospects for governments to increase their efforts to protect the
environment ultimately rely on public support, as wavering support might
impose substantial constraints on governments' environmental policy
ambitions.
 Role of government in EM
• As governments, in general, seek to adapt their public administration
systems to pressing demands for rapid economic growth that simultaneously
meet the need for sustainable development, a number of urgent and
interrelated concerns emerge, which are common to many countries
regardless of economic, political, or cultural background or pattern of
administration
 Role of government in EM
• It is acknowledged that the nature and significance of environmental
problems varies greatly from one nation to another, and that action
programs for environmental management have to be country-specific.
• It is also recognized that, in many cases, local governments play a crucial
role in this field.
• In addition, the search for solutions to various trans-boundary pollution
problems calls for concerted efforts at the regional level.
 Role of government in EM
• Effective implementation of national policies and legislation
• Effective management of production, transport, storage and use of chemicals
• Effective disposal of hazardous wastes
• Phasing out production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• Development of alternative feedstocks and disposal options
 Government actions to promote sustainable
consumption and production
• Signatory to international conventions
• Promoting Energy efficient technologies
• Imposing taxes on less sustainable products
• Environmental education and awareness raising
• Banning the importation of non sustainable products
 Government actions to promote sustainable
consumption and production
• Performance standards and Mandatory labels
• Labels are also used to provide information to consumers on their recycling
obligations to encourage greater involvement in the collection and recycling
of products and packaging waste.
• Mandatory labeling on consumer products are for health reasons, includes
warning labels on cigarettes, health-declaration requirements for nutritional
values of food products,.
 Environmental policy management
• Management for sustainable development requires the integration of
environmental, economic and social policies.
• Policy makers need to fully comprehend not only the range and complexity of
environmental problems but their interrelatedness with economic and social ones.
• Environmental policy making involves law making, program funding, rule writing
and enforcement of rules by agencies.
• Zimbabwe's National Environmental Policy is closely linked to its overall
development policy and plans.
 Environmental policy management
• Individuals can work with each other to become part of political processes
that influence how environmental policies are made and whether or not they
succeed. This can be achieved by:
• Becoming informed on environmental issues
• Making your views known at public hearings and elected representatives.
• Form or join NGOs seeking change
• Propose or work for better solutions to environmental problems
 Environmental policy management
• Governmental legislation and regulatory requirements largely have provided
the context for environmental management.
• Presently, responses to environmental concerns frequently have entailed the
creation and adoption of environmental legislation and the establishment of
a variety of enforcement mechanisms.
• The policy life cycle usually involves 4 stages: recognition, formulation,
implementation and control
 Environmental policy management
• The main contention is that government, and in particular Ministers and
agencies with a mandate for environment protection, need to formulate a
strategy for sustainable development as the basis for a coherent approach
across government agencies and the private sector.
• Such a strategy requires the support of monitoring and reporting
mechanisms, yielding accurate and comprehensive data on which to base
decisions.
 Environmental policy management
• As the country moves towards a green economy in tandem with the global trends,
growth in income and employment should be driven by public and private
investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and
resource efficiency and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• There are two basic policy instruments that can be employed by governments:
• Direct regulation and
• Market instruments and economic/fiscal measures.
 Environmental policy management
• Direct regulation was the first form of public policy on environmental issues.
• These approaches are also termed as command and control approaches since
the taxes are set by the regulatory agency or the government, and the
companies need to comply and pay these taxes.
• Though taxes are controversial and governments have faced pushback to the
idea of carbon taxes, regulation is still an effective mechanism to ensure
minimum performance from those players that are reluctant to comply.
 Environmental policy management
• Market instruments and economic/fiscal measures includes any set of instruments
that reward innovation in sustainability from the private sectors.
• These instruments can include subsidies, taxes, ecolabeling schemes, and
public procurement policies.
• The idea is that if the private sector is given enough motivation, the sector
itself would come up with the best way to solve a problem.
 Environmental legislation in Zimbabwe
• Environmental legislation is administered by various Government Departments in various
ministries. However, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is responsible for the
administration of most of the acts that deal with the environment directly.
• The overarching environmental law and regulatory framework on environmental issues in
Zimbabwe is the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27). Other examples are:
• Natural resources Act
• Mines and minerals Act
• Hazardous Substances and Articles Act
• Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act
• Water Act
• Zambezi River Authority Act
 Environmental legislation in Zimbabwe
• Aspects of the Environmental Management Act include:
• Functions of EMA and the Environmental Management Board
• Environment fund
• Environmental quality standards
• Environmental plans
• Environmental impact assessment, audit and monitoring of projects.
• Conservation and improvement of the environment
• Control of invasive alien species
• International obligations and commitments
• Appeals
 Environmental legislation in Zimbabwe
• Most EM programs at national level are lodged within national agencies
such as the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in Zimbabwe.
• However, a number of other state agencies frequently have responsibility for
specific aspects of the environment e.g. ZINWA.
• EMA is the major regulatory body for EM and acts as a watchdog for the
environment by implementing pollution control regulations and ensuring
that businesses meet the legal requirements.
 Environmental legislation in Zimbabwe
• The Environmental Management Agency is a statutory body responsible for
ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and protection of
the environment, the prevention of pollution and environmental degradation,
the preparation of Environmental Plans for the management and protection
of the environment.
• It was established under the Environmental Management Act [Chapter
20:27] and operationalised on the 17th of March 2003 through SI 103 of
2003.
 NGOs for EM in Zimbabwe
• Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe
• Environment Africa
• Environmental Buddies, Zimbabwe
• Friends of the Environment
• Southern Centre for Energy and Environment
• Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association
 International action
• Making the transition to more sustainable societies will require that nations
implement ‘green’ plans and that people and nations cooperate, agree on
principles and make the political commitment to achieve this transition.
• Zimbabwe has is a signatory party to at least eleven key international
conventions concerning the environment.
• The country is also a participant in several international agreements that
indirectly serve to protect the environment
 International action
• Zimbabwe is presently a party to the following treaties and conventions:
• Convention Concerning The Protection of The World Cultural and Natural Heritage
• Preferential Trade Area Treaty (PTA)
• Lome Convention
• World Heritage Convention
• International Conventions on Internatioal Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Agreement on the Action Plan for the Environmentally sound Management of the Zambezi
River System (ZACPPLAN)
 International action-examples
• Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous
wastes and their disposal
• Rotterdam convention on the prior informed consent procedure for certain
hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade
• Chemicals programmes of UNEP and FAO
• Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants
• Agenda 21 adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED)
 Examples of International NGOs for EM
• Greenpeace
• Earth Island Institute
• Earth Justice
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Fauna and Flora International
• Nature Friends International
• Nature Conservancy