Challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming industrial energy efficiency in small‐to‐medium‐sized industries in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Development of industry in Zimbabwe has been widely acknowledged as one of the leading sources of current environmental and energy efficiency challenges affecting the country. The emergence of Small-to-medium-sized (SMEs) industry sectors is seen as an opportunity for socioeconomic growth. Hence, it requires mainstreaming sustainability and energy efficiency at its core. Several policy instruments have been implemented to support industrial energy efficiency in Zimbabwe, including awareness, regulations, and voluntary standards such as International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) energy management systems standard ISO 50001 and economic instruments. Several challenges exist that affect widespread adoption of energy efficient technologies including implementation of policy framework for energy efficiency, ageing equipment, inadequate funding mechanisms, limited information, few economic incentives for SMEs to invest in energy efficiency, low technical capability of SMEs to implement energy efficiency, limited institutional sustainability of agencies involved in promotion of energy efficiency, and low uptake of energy management standards. This study focuses on the challenges and opportunities for resource efficiency and presents strategies for improvement. In order to enhance green industry and increase adoption in SMEs, there is need to strengthen institutions involved in resource efficiency, improve funding mechanisms, strengthen industrial clusters, promote energy service companies (ESCOs) and energy efficiency networking forums, create funding schemes for SMEs, provide training and capacity building, increase demonstration projects, strengthen the role of independent energy service providers, and improve national collaboration of stakeholders. In conclusion, Zimbabwe has greater potential to contribute towards a green economy through implementing energy efficiency in SMEs.

Designing Policies and Programmes for Improved Energy Efficiency in Industrial SMEs

“…Relating this to the Cooremans decision-making model shows that the major focus of the reviewed studies was found in the later part of the decision-making process, namely the choice step. Many of the findings in the studies of barriers to energy efficiency (e.g., [25,39,40,46,48]) are in line with the previous findings from Brunke et al [4], saying that the most important perceived barriers are related to the economic category in the taxonomy from Cagno et al [5].…”

“…In a review of the challenges for energy efficiency in industrial SMEs in Zimbabwe [46], the main barriers found were related to financial and technical capacity, awareness and cultural issues in the organisation. The need for demonstration projects and evidence-based case studies, independent consultants and structured energy management were stressed as a means to improve the development in SMEs.…”

Making Energy Savings by the Engagement of Small and Medium-sized Enterprise on Energy Management

“…Following the works of Paramonova and Thollander [14] and Trianni et al [11], the study applied the use of energy auditing to identify energy conservation opportunities in the various SMEs that were studied. Also, Ackah [7] and Muzamwese [13] focused on the barriers of energy efficiency of SMEs in rural areas on energy related decision making using energy auditing to identify energy conservation opportunities to reduce energy cost and maximize profit in both rural and urban areas in the Sunyani Municipality.…”

“…Other stakeholders have done some research on energy efficiency including: Trianni et al [10] who studied 48 manufacturing firms in Northern Italy; Trianni et al [11] who also studied 222 manufacturing SMEs in Northern Italy; and Hrovatin et al [12] who studied the factors impacting the decision to invest in energy-efficient and clean technologies. Industrial SMEs in Zimbabwe have also reviewed challenges in energy efficiency by Muzamwese [13].…”

Impact of sustainability strategies on small- and medium-sized enterprises in Zimbabwe

“…Musa and Chinniah (2016) posited that SMEs are flexible and responsive to frequent changes that occur in the contemporary global environment than large enterprises. Some SMEs are involved in primary and secondary economic activities that depend heavily on locally sourced materials (Muzamwese, 2016). As such, they achieve high valueadded operations activities, which are the key roles in the growth and development of any economy.…”