Zimbabwe regulated carbon-credit trading through the Carbon Credits Trading (General) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 150 of 2023), which established the Zimbabwe Carbon Credit Registry, a Carbon Credits Trading Committee, and a share-of-proceeds rule sending up to 70% to the project developer and 30% to an Environmental Levy, with at least 25% of the developer's share required to reach the host community. A successor instrument, the Carbon Trading (General) Regulations, S.I. 48 of 2025, has since been published. Zimbabwe's September 2021 revised NDC raised its ambition to a 40% reduction in per-capita GHG emissions below business as usual by 2030, expanded from an energy-only 33% target to cover all IPCC sectors, at an estimated implementation cost of USD 4.8 billion.
Projects
Centragrid Solar Power Plant
A solar plant licensed for 25 MW at Nyabira, 35 km from Harare, built in two phases.
Kariba REDD+
A vast, once-flagship forest-carbon project on Lake Kariba, now contested over large-scale over-crediting.
Regulation
NDC
"NDC 2020 shows increased ambition by expanding per capita GHG reduction target to cover all sectors, hence adding in the waste, AFOLU and IPPU sectors, as well as increasing the level of ambition of the per capita target to 40% below BAU by 2030."§6(c), p.43 (ICTU)
40% reduction in per-capita GHG emissions below BAU by 2030 (up from 33% energy-only in the first NDC), now economy-wide (energy, IPPU, AFOLU, waste); implementation cost estimated at USD 4.8 billion.
Issuing body: Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife · Corroborated
Carbon market
"3. (1) The objective of these regulations is to provide for the control and management of carbon credit trading projects." / "5. The Designated National Authority shall be established within the Climate Change Management Department."s.3(1) (Objective); s.5 (Designated National Authority)
Established Zimbabwe's carbon credit lifecycle (registration, MRV, share-of-proceeds: up to 70% to project developer, 30% Environmental Levy, ≥25% of the developer share to community), the Zimbabwe Carbon Credit Registry (s.15) and a Carbon Credits Trading Committee.
Issuing body: Designated National Authority within the Climate Change Management Department · Corroborated