Tanzania president boosts economy with waste management and carbon credits

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has urged regional and district authorities to spearhead conservation of the environment in order to check carbon dioxide emission and earn more carbon credits.

Addressing Iringa District leaders on August 7, 2008, President Kikwete said Tanzanians would boost their incomes significantly through such credits. Under the system, credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their greenhouse gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded in the international market at their current market prices. The system was ratified in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol. Its goal is to stop the increase of carbon dioxide emissions.

President Kikwete said such conservation served two purposes--reduce global warming and serve as an income-generation project. He said some other countries had vigorously ventured into environment conservation through solid waste management programmes and were benefiting economically. Through solid waste management , authorities could also recycle waste and get other materials/products and even generate electricity.

President Kikwete pointed out that Iringa as one of the regions had made great strides in environment conservation, urging them to take advantage of the carbon credit system. The president advised local authorities to contact the Director of Environment (Vice-President's Office) for more details on how to utilize the Carbon Credit System to their advantage. He told the meeting that Tanzania and other countries are engaged in negotiations with international environment bodies to also benefit from forest conservation. Mr Kikwete explained that under the carbon credit system, major beneficiaries are countries that have stepped up tree planting. He noted that Tanzania has already planted millions of trees and is efficiently conserving her forests.