Mike E. Juru
ZIMBABWE’S Constitution doesn’t treat the environment as an afterthought: Section 73 gives
everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, and it places a duty on the State to protect the environment through “reasonable legislative and other measures” for sustainable development. Decarbonisation, is not just a policy or climate pledge for COP meetings.
It is a constitutional duty.
Meeting the constitutional duty means government must move from aspiration to action and this is realised in the budget cycle: The question for Treasury that arises is: how do we meet this constitutional mandate without adding pressure to an already constrained budget?
Green building sits right at the intersection of that mandate and the national budget. Done right, it shifts buildings from being a fiscal drain to a fiscal asset. Green Building is a solution to the built environment’s 40% of carbon emissions. Buildings certified to EDGE standard cut energy use 20-40% and water use 20- 50%.
Government being one of the country’s largest property owners from national department offices to schools, hospitals, courts, the State pays huge electricity and water bills.
Reduced utility bills for government-owned buildings, frees up budget for service delivery, lowers strain on the grid during load-shedding peaks, reduces need for costly emergency diesel generators, lowers maintenance through better materials and design, cut lifecycle costs.
Thus, Green Building certification becomes a solution. The Constitution’s environmental duty is also about preventing harm. Non-green, inefficient buildings worsen urban heat islands, flooding, and energy poverty. That increases disaster response costs and health burdens all of which hit the budget directly and through transfers to provinces/municipalities.
Green building mandates like heat-resistant design, water harvesting, and flood-resilient materials reduce the State’s exposure to climate-related fiscal shocks. It’s preventative spending that costs less than rebuilding after each climate event.
Revenue & economic multiplier effects
Government does not only have a responsibility to decarbonise, but also to grow the economy.
Green building delivers both: A green economy is created as professionals are
called for the design, the booming construction is energized demanding manufacturing industry to provide green materials for construction, while new skills will be required to support the new green infrastructure.
A new economy will be created from the decarbonisation agenda.
Tax base expansion: Construction of certified buildings, local manufacturing of insulation,
Photovoltaic, water fittings, etc., creates jobs and VAT/payroll tax revenue.
Property value uplift: GBCSA data shows green buildings command rental and capital premiums.
Higher property values = higher municipal rates and property transfer taxes to Treasury.
Investor confidence: IFC and others are channeling billions into green buildings. Clear national green standards signal policy certainty, crowding in private capital so the State doesn’t have to fund everything. Meeting climate commitments affordably. Zimbabwe’s NDC and Paris Agreement targets require decarbonising key sectors.
Buildings are the “low-hanging fruit” compared to heavy industry.
Mandating green standards for new public buildings and incentivising retrofits of existing stock is cheaper per ton of CO2 avoided than many alternatives.
It’s budget-aligned climate action, a model Zimbabwe could adopt using carbon tax revenue or green bonds.
A national green building policy therefore becomes a budget tool: achieve decarbonisation targets without blowing the deficit. The UK’s Market Accelerator for Green Construction program provides performance-based incentives to developers to offset certification costs a model Zimbabwe can adapt.
Decarbonisation is often framed as a cost. In construction, it’s an economic driver. Building to green standards creates demand for local manufacturing of insulation, double glazing, solar water heaters, and efficient HVAC systems. That’s SMME growth, jobs, and VAT/payroll tax for ZIMRA.
Social budget impact: Affordable, healthy housing.
The constitutional mandate also covers human dignity and health. Green affordable housing cuts utility costs for households that spend 25% of income on energy/water.
That reduces pressure on social grants and indigent subsidies. Healthier indoor air and thermal comfort also cuts clinic visits for respiratory and heat-related illnesses.
The fiscus saves on health expenditure while citizens get better quality of life. That’s the constitutional mandate in practice.
What government responsibility looks like: Making green building mandatory and leading by example, making all new public buildings and major retrofits to meet set green standards. The budget saves first, the market follows. When government builds green, the market scales.
When the market scales, Treasury’s tax base grows.
Policy and incentives: Fast-track approvals, reduced rates, or tax rebates for certified buildings.
Incentivise green building. The cost of incentives is offset by long-term utility and health savings.
Capacity building: Fund training on green construction so local companies can participate – growing the tax base. New jobs created.
Green building isn’t an “environment vs economy” trade-off. In light of Section 73, it’s the fiscally responsible way to meet the State’s decarbonisation duty.
It cuts government operating costs, avoids future disaster spending, grows tax revenue, and makes housing more affordable all while keeping Zimbabwe aligned with its constitutional and climate commitments. The national budget is ultimately a moral document. It reflects what we value and what we’re willing to pay for. Section 73 says we value a healthy environment and sustainable development. Green building is how we honour that value without sacrificing fiscal discipline.
Every dollar saved on operating a government building is a dollar available for health, education, or infrastructure elsewhere. Every ton of CO2 avoided through better design is a ton we don’t have to cut later at higher cost. Every green home built is a household with more disposable income and less dependence on state subsidies. Decarbonisation is government’s responsibility. The Constitution demands it. The budget rewards it. Building green is how we connect the two.
Juru is the Chairman of Green Building Council Zimbabwe