Constitution, decarbonisation and fiscal responsibility

101

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