Dodoma — THE government has launched guidelines and regulations for doing carbon business in the country, with the ministry responsible instructing the Vice President Office's Environment Department, Carbon Monitoring Centre and the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) to cooperate with all sectors in all regions to oversee its implementation.
The minister of State in the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment), Dr Selemani Jafo, launched the crucial documents in Dodoma on Friday as he underscored the need for legal compliance on the guidelines and Regulations.
Dr Jafo equally directed all regional secretariats, local government authorities and development stakeholders to effectively manage the implementation of the Regulations and guidelines so as to bring financial gain to the nation.
He said carbon trade is one of the most important resources in dealing with climate change in the world.
"This business takes place among members of the Climate Change Convention and, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement to which Tanzania is a member," said Jafo.
"Together with the existing policies and strategies, the government has been taking into consideration the importance of this business and prepared the National Regulations and Guidelines for the management of Carbon business in the country" he added.
Dr Jafo insisted that the main aim of the newly launched regulations and guidelines is to set the procedures and conditions that will be considered by all stakeholders and entrepreneurs of carbon business when implementing new and ongoing projects within and outside the country.
"These regulations and guidelines also aim at creating a friendly environmental and business management in the country, they have been already signed and announced in the National Gazette No. 636 and 637 of October 28, thus they are ready for use" said the minister.
He also explained that they are based on strengthening the country's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hence reducing their impact on the environment.
The minister also emphasized that the regulations and guidelines are also aimed at ensuring the community and other stakeholders fully participate in the business hence, enabling the government to also benefits from carbon trade.
However, Dr Jafo advised all carbon investors and citizens to participate in the implementation of carbon projects immediately by revitalizing their projects and re-registering through the Vice President's Office and the Carbon Monitoring Center located at Kilimo Sokoine in Morogoro Region.
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Recently Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa presented two dummy cheques worth 427.6m/- to the villagers for thickening forests to reduce carbon emissions.
The funds were been paid by Carbon Tanzania to residents of four villages in Tanganyika District.
The PM directed all councils in the country with carbon trade projects to make follow up of agreements entered between the companies and villagers.
"We are supposed to know what is contained in the contracts and our legal officers should make follow-ups," he said while urging the villagers to use the money obtained from the carbon trade for their benefits.
Carbon trade is the process of buying and selling of credits that permit a company or other entity to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses.
The carbon credits and the carbon trade are authorised by governments with the goal of gradually reducing overall carbon emissions and mitigating their contribution to climate change.
