THE Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has unveiled an electric motor
vehicle with Green Economic Minister Collins Nzovu saying the
development fits into the Government’s aspirations of transforming
Zambia into a climate-resilient and inclusive green economy.
He said electric vehicles were responsible for considerably lower
greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetime than conventional
internal combustion engine vehicles.
He said at the launch of the motor vehicle yesterday that the
increased use of electric vehicles would lead to reduction of Zambia’s
greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the attainment of
emission reduction ambition.
“We are all aware that over 99 per cent of our vehicles in Zambia use
fossil-based fuels. It, therefore, goes without saying that as a country
we are highly vulnerable to the vagaries of the international oil
market.”
“As it stands every increase in the price of oil on the international
market results in the rise in fuel and consequently, transportation
costs in the country which pass-through to the rest of the economy
through increased prices of goods and services,” he said.
Mr Nzovu said increased purchase and use of electric vehicles in
Zambia would lead to reduction of our oil import bill and contribute
to the stabilization of the exchange rate and the saved foreign
exchange could be channeled to other important purposes.
He said the increased numbers and use of electric vehicles would
lead to the development of value chains in the whole industry
around electric vehicles in the country and create thousands of well-
paying jobs.
He said this would contribute to reduction of poverty and
vulnerability as well as inequalities in line with the social inclusion
pillar of a green economy. He also said that Zambia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had signed a co-operation
agreement to facilitate the joint development of an electric battery
value chain and the framework was being finalized.
"What this means is that in a few years time, electric vehicle
batteries and battery precursors will be manufactured right here in
Zambia.
“This will obviously spur the development of the electric vehicles
industry in Zambia and create thousands of jobs. When we say the
New Dawn government means well for this country, this is what we
mean”, he said
CRS regional director Brian Tabben said the institution had decided
to participate in climate response to limit emissions and waste as
much as possible.
He said the transition to electric vehicles would contribute rapidly
and significantly to this objective and examples from other parts of
the globe demonstrated that this was a right way to get to green
mobility.
“This is of particular importance for CRS, since care for creation is at
the heart of our Catholic identity and programme quality standards,”
he said.
He said climate action was a justice issue and global warming was
created through the industrialization of developed countries and
constituted a true ecological debt between the global north and
south.
