THE Swedish Embassy has launched a GO GREEN campaign whose objective is to promote Sweden’s priorities in protecting the environment and to also advocate for climate resilient and adaptive climate smart solutions in Zambia.

And Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Anna Maj Hultgård says the embassy will host several activities during the GO GREEN campaign, targeting decision makers in Zambia, civil society organisations and the young people.

Speaking at her residence during the Go Green media launch under the theme “For the love of nature – let’s save the planet”, Wednesday, Ambassador Hultgård said the campaign would help strengthen the embassy’s focus on environment and climate change.

“We have a responsibility to protect our Earth. The Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka has therefore decided to strengthen our focus on environment and climate and will today launch our new “GO GREEN campaign” for 2022. The objective of the GO GREEN campaign is to promote Sweden’s priorities in environment and climate and to advocate for climate resilient and adaptive climate smart solutions in Zambia. The campaign will also be used to identify Zambia’s priorities and needs in the environment and climate dialogue. Sweden is a strong global actor in terms of environmental and sustainability innovations. Climate-smart and green transition paves the way for economic and social development, better living conditions and sustainability across generations,” Ambassador Hultgård said.

“In Zambia, Sweden promotes climate action through our development cooperation, as well as through our initiative “GO GREEN” that we are launching today. Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic unless we act now. Climate change impacts are driven by rising greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. The impacts can be devastating and in Zambia, we see impacts of climate change every year, with more frequent and intense droughts and floods that have led to insecurity of food, water and energy, especially among the most vulnerable groups in the country.”

Ambassador Hultgård said the embassy would host several activities during the GO GREEN campaign, targeting decision makers in Zambia, CSOs and the young people.

“The embassy will host several activities during the GO GREEN campaign, targeting decision makers in Zambia as well as civil society and the young Zambians all over the country. Activities include field visits, promoting biodiversity through BioBlitz events and bilateral meetings with policy makers and the government of Zambia. Sweden will also host a series of “Environment Days” at end of April, intensifying our activities for one week, including hosting TV debates, film screenings, clean up and recycle programmes, round table discussions with youths and much more. Sweden’s development cooperation in Zambia is also strong on environment and climate action and we support partner organisations such as Musika Development Initiative and SNV, with climate-smart agriculture, and the renewable energy sector, not least through the successful Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa and a new initiative on clean cooking,” she said.

Asked about the mining activities in the Lower Zambezi, ambassador Hultgård said Sweden had developed knowledge on green mining which it intends to share with Zambia.

“I think that Sweden is actually a good example, we have a lot of common issues because Sweden is a mining country. We have a lot of natural resources in the forest, in our rivers, we need energy, we need development, we need growth but are also extremely prudent in making balanced decisions between environmental sustainability and also mining for example. We have developed quite extensive knowledge and technical know-how on how to also do mining in a sustainable way, green mining. And we have offered to engage with governments here and also with agencies in support of building capacity in making environmental and social assessments,” said Ambassador Hultgård.