Emerald Biogas Initiative: Clean Energy & Women’s Empowerment in Zimbabwe
In rural Zimbabwe, many households depend on polluting fuels for cooking and heating, worsening indoor air pollution and depleting scarce tree cover. Biogas digesters offer an alternative: converting organic waste into clean-burning gas while generating income for women through the sale of gas and fertilizer.
A 2024 pilot, funded by Stichting de Boomgaard, tested community demand and training methods with 40 women in Wedza, Mashonaland East, most of whom had never heard of biogas before. It confirmed strong interest in portable biogas systems, ready access to livestock waste, and a need for local-language energy education.
In 2025, Emerald Climate Hub engaged local authorities, trained women in clean-energy technologies, and adapted the model to household and commercial systems. Ten household digesters were installed across ten wards in Buhera, alongside one commercial digester.
By July 2026, the initiative had expanded to include a second commercial digester and a school-linked site in Mazowe. Capacity-building activities across Wedza, Murehwa, Buhera, and Mazowe have reached 747 people: 260 women, 427 children (including five with disabilities), and 60 male supporters. With Great Zimbabwe University, the initiative has planted 500 indigenous trees, on track toward a 2027 goal of 1,000.
The Ministry of Gender and Women Affairs has committed to supporting scale-up, recognizing the project's value for climate resilience, female leadership, and a circular local economy.
