PROGRAM AREAS
Our work in the coming five years will be underpinned by the following five program areas, guided by our strategic objectives.
- Extractive Industry
- Climate Change and Energy
- Urban Environment
- Land and Natural Resources
- Responsible Business, Trade & Investments
Program 1: Extractive Industry
Extractive Industries covers the mining, oil, and gas sectors and their impacts on the economy, the environment, and communities. Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Investment reports indicate increasing foreign investment. While this presents economic opportunities, it also raises serious environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns.
Objectives
- Improve the EESCs of ten resource rich targeted districts in Zimbabwe for the benefit of 25,000 community members.
- Enhance the adoption or formulation of mining oil and gas legal and policy reform processes, and the implementation and enforcement of five policies for improved responsiveness by state and non-state actors in Zimbabwe
- Strengthen 15 existing and five new organizations, networks and associations in the extractives sector in order to actively participate in natural resources governance and hold duty bearers accountable on EESCs
- Improve Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) practices for 1,500 artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMers) and 15 mining companies
Program 2: Climate change and Energy
Climate change is increasing poverty, displacement, and food insecurity in Zimbabwe, with recurrent droughts, floods, and heatwaves threatening lives and livelihoods. As a result, the Government seeks to scale up adaptation efforts, reduce emissions and increase investments in climate actions and attract climate financing to achieve net zero goals and build resilience across all sectors and systems.
Objectives
- Influence ten legal, policy and institutional practices and decision-making processes on climate change and energy governance in line with regional and international standards and practices in order to achieve just and inclusive climate change and energy transition.
- Improve public awareness and action on climate change impacts, mitigation, adaptation and resilience targeting 25,000 people so that communities are better informed, actively engaged in climate action, and empowered to adopt sustainable practices that strengthen their resilience and influence local and national climate decision making.
- To generate 10 systematic and participatory research papers on climate change, climate finance, mitigation, adaptation, just energy transition and other emerging climate change and energy trends resulting in evidence-based advocacy, informed policy influence, and enhanced community and stakeholder capacity to respond to the climate crisis effectively and equitably.
Program 3: Urban Environment
Rapid urban population growth, pollution of urban and peri-urban water bodies, and poor waste management practices are major causes of concern in Zimbabwe. These challenges affect the rights of citizens to a clean, safe and healthy environment, right to health, and to adequate food, housing and water, which leads to water borne disease outbreaks.
Objectives
- Influence and strengthen five legal frameworks and planning processes on urban environments, including climate change, for sustainable and resilient cities, leading to improved environmental governance, better protection of wetlands, and enhanced capacity of urban authorities to deliver public services.
- To empower 25,000 community members and 25 CSOs and resident associations to actively participate in policy, legal, and planning processes that hold duty bearers to account on environmental issues, so that urban governance becomes more transparent, inclusive, and responsive, ensuring improved service delivery, strengthened environmental protection, and the realization of citizens’ environmental and socio-economic rights.
- Enhance the legal and technical capacity of 15 urban local authorities on environmental and climate change management in order to achieve more effective, climate resilient urban planning and service delivery, improved enforcement of environmental regulations, and the integration of climate change considerations into local development processes.
Program 4: Land and Natural Resources
Land and natural resources remain at the heart of Zimbabwe’s development and community livelihoods. This program includes land, wildlife, forestry, water and agriculture.
Objectives
- Influence reform or effective implementation of five natural resources policies and legislation through evidence-based decision making on natural resources governance.
- To improve the capacity of 25,000 citizens and communities to actively and meaningfully participate in land and natural resources governance, so that they can claim their rights, influence decision-making, monitor resource use, and advocate for equitable access and sustainable management of natural resources.
- To improve access to and participation in benefit sharing mechanisms for 400 communities and 25,000 citizens in the natural resources sector, enabling them to equitably share in the benefits derived from land and natural resources, which will strengthen local livelihoods and environmental justice.
Program 5: Responsible Business, Trade and Investments
The responsible business, trade and investments pillar will be focused on ensuring that victims of business related human rights abuses have effective remedy. Zimbabwe has not developed National Action Plans (NAPs) to operationalise the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). However, there is significant interest from the Ministry of Justice, and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to commence this process.
Objectives
- Improve the capacity of 400 communities and citizens to influence development, adoption or reform of national, regional and international processes, best practices or standards on trade or responsible business conduct.
- Improve the capacity of 20 CSOs, 50 parliamentarians, 250 community members and the Human Rights Commission to hold government, companies and investors accountable on ESCRs.
- Promote sustainable trade and investments by providing technical and legal support to ten business and five government institutions for adoption of human rights diligence and supply chain standards.
- Enhance corporate accountability and access to remedies for 50 community members through judicial and non-judicial support mechanisms.
Strategy Implementation Priorities
To “Sustain Growth in a Changing World”, we aim to enhance our financial management practices and diversify revenue streams by increasing non-funding income by 25% and establishing additional unrestricted revenue sources over the next five years. We will also focus on implementing institutional capacity strengthening and sustainability growth actions that can allow the organisation to grow and continue operating by 2029 and beyond.
- Strengthen the human capital base for environmental justice advocacy, prioritising critical skill gaps and competency development for enhanced organizational management, governance, and leadership, through a comprehensive professional development program that fosters continuous learning, encourages career advancement, and improves overall organizational performance.
- Increase unrestricted revenue sources by 25% supported by an established ESG unit and social investments which will enhance ZELO’s financial sustainability, enabling greater flexibility to respond to emerging environmental justice issues, and allowing the organisation to invest in long-term, strategic initiatives that directly benefit communities and strengthen environmental governance.
- Strengthen financial management, media visibility and MEAL through upgrading policies and systems that enhance accountability, learning, adaptability and impact communication to ensure that ZELO effectively demonstrates results, tailors messages to diverse stakeholder needs, and increases trust, transparency, and influence across its programming and partnerships.
- Construct and establish a conference and office facility that acts as a central hub for advancing environmental justice, collaboration, and knowledge sharing whilst further strengthening institutional visibility and reducing long-term operational costs.