Zambia Environmental Management Agency

What Zambia Environmental Management Agency does

Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) is a government statutory body established in 1992 (originally as the Environmental Council of Zambia, renamed via the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011) and headquartered in Lusaka. As Zambia's principal environmental regulator, ZEMA holds exclusive statutory authority over environmental impact assessment (EIA) administration and the issuance of all environmental licences in the country, covering emissions, pesticides and toxic substances, waste management, hazardous waste, and ozone-depleting substances. The agency serves all public and private sector project proponents undertaking development activities (mining, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure) and government ministries requiring strategic environmental assessments, with non-compliance penalties of up to K210,000 or five years' imprisonment.

ZEMA's service delivery is built on a digital platform stack consisting of the Online Licensing Portal (eservices.gov.zm, integrated with ZamPass government authentication) and a dedicated EIA application system (ezema.zema.org.zm), supplemented by six physical offices across Zambia (Lusaka, Ndola, Solwezi, Chipata, Chirundu, Livingstone). The agency maintains the Central Environmental Information System and an environmental information registry mandated under Section 87 of the EMA. ZEMA also implements specialised programmes including the Environmentally Sound Plastic Management Project (with BRS/UNEP) and the Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Programme (with the World Bank BioCarbon Fund ISFL, 2024-2030).

ZEMA's revenue model combines annual government parliamentary allocation with statutory licensing fees prescribed under SI No. 112 of 2013 (ranging from K30 application fees up to K30,000 for hazardous waste disposal licences, denominated in Zambian Kwacha), with an Environmental Fund established under the 2024 Environmental Fund Regulations. The agency is overseen by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, governed by a Board chaired by Mr. Auditor Mazuba, with Christopher Kanema serving as Acting Director General. In 2022, ZEMA approved over USD 5 billion in project investments, signalling the scale of regulatory throughput it manages.

Name

Zambia Environmental Management Agency

Legal name

Zambia Environmental Management Agency

Website

https://www.zema.org.zm

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ZEMA is Zambia's statutory environmental regulator, exclusively responsible for environmental impact assessment administration and licensing (emissions, waste, hazardous substances, pesticides, ozone-depleting substances) for all development project proponents nationwide, operating under the Environmental Management Act of 2011.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Regulation and Licensing

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA) (BPAIAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), NEPA/EA/EIS & Public Consultation (EUAHAAAB), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Environmental impact assessment
• Environmental licensing services
• Hazardous waste regulation
• Pollution control permits
• Ozone depleting substances

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Parliamentary Allocation: As a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, ZEMA is primarily funded through annual government budget allocations from the Republic of Zambia's parliamentary budget.
2. Licensing Fees: ZEMA generates revenue by issuing various environmental licences (emissions, pesticides and toxic substances, hazardous waste, waste management, ozone depleting substances) for which applicants pay statutory fees ranging from K30 application fees to K30,000 for certain hazardous waste disposal licences, as prescribed in SI No. 112 of 2013.
3. Environmental Fund: The EMA provides for the establishment of an Environment Fund. The Environmental Fund Regulations 2024 govern the administration and application of monies from the Fund, which supports environmental management activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) is Zambia's principal environmental regulator, administering Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and issuing statutory environmental licences — Emissions, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Waste Management, Hazardous Waste, and Ozone Depleting Substances — to individuals, companies, and government entities undertaking development projects. The agency also enforces environmental regulations, runs environmental education and awareness programmes, and publishes environmental information. Services are delivered through an Online Licensing Portal (eservices.gov.zm), an Online EIA Application System (ezema.zema.org.zm), and six regional offices across Zambia.

Product overview

Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) is a regulatory agency providing environmental management services through licensing (Emissions, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Waste Management, Hazardous Waste, and Ozone Depleting Substances licences), Environmental Impact Assessment administration, environmental regulation enforcement, education and awareness programmes, and environmental information publishing. ZEMA operates through digital platforms including an Online Licensing Portal and Online EIA Application System. The agency also implements specialized programmes including the Environmentally Sound Plastic Management Project (ESPMP) and Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Programme (EP-JSLP). The agency regulates environmental management under the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011, formerly operating as the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Systemic process that identifies, predicts, and evaluates potential positive and negative impacts that a proposed project may have on the environment including physical, biological, and socio-economic aspects. Required of all development project proponents in Zambia.
• Emissions Licence Document issued to allow a person to emit or discharge a pollutant or contaminant into the environment under prescribed licence terms and conditions. Valid for 3 years with 30-day processing time.
• Pesticides and Toxic Substances Licence Licence allowing persons to manufacture, import, export, store, distribute, transport, blend, process, re-process or change the composition of a pesticide or toxic substance.
• Waste Management Licence Licence allowing persons to reclaim, re-use, recover, recycle, transport, dispose of, transit, trade in or export waste, or own/construct/operate waste disposal sites.
• Hazardous Waste Licence Licence allowing persons to generate, pre-treat, treat, handle, transport, store, dispose of, transit, trade in or export hazardous waste.
• Ozone Depleting Substances Licence Licence allowing persons to import, export, produce or distribute controlled substances or ozone depleting substances, or service fire extinguishers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other technology using such substances.
• Environmentally Sound Plastic Management Project (ESPMP) Project implemented by ZEMA in collaboration with BRS/UNEP Secretariat aimed at protecting human health and environment from adverse effects of plastic waste, contributing to SDG targets 3.9, 5.1, 6.3, 11.6, 12.4, and 14.1.
• Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Programme (EP-JSLP) Results-based climate financing initiative developed by Government of Zambia in partnership with World Bank's BioCarbon Fund ISFL to reduce emissions from unsustainable land management practices, prevent deforestation, reduce agriculture emissions, and improve rural land-use planning (2024-2030).
• Online Licensing Portal Government e-services portal providing online application for environmental licences (Emissions, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Waste Management, Hazardous Waste, Ozone Depleting Substances), integrated with ZamPass authentication for secure digital submission and payment.
• Online EIA Application System Online platform for submitting Environmental Impact Assessment applications, enabling project proponents to submit EIA reports, Environmental Project Briefs, and Strategic Environmental Assessments digitally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5 billion USD worth of project investments approved in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Secretariat / UNEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The BRS/UNEP Secretariat partners with ZEMA to implement the Environmentally Sound Plastic Management Project (ESPMP) in Zambia. The project aims to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects of plastic waste, contribute to SDG targets 3.9, 5.1, 6.3, 11.6, 12.4, and 14.1. ZEMA develops national plastic waste inventories, strengthens the legal framework for environmentally sound plastic management, and builds enforcement capacity to implement the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments.
• World Bank BioCarbon Fund – Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The World Bank's BioCarbon Fund ISFL partners with the Government of Zambia through ZEMA to develop the Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Programme (EP-JSLP). This is a results-based climate finance initiative (2024-2030) aimed at reducing emissions from unsustainable land management practices, preventing deforestation and forest degradation, reducing agriculture emissions, and improving rural land-use planning.
• Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZEMA operates under the policy direction of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), which provides oversight and coordinates environmental policy at the national level. ZEMA participates in COP delegations led by the Ministry.
• National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO)minorOthersNWASCO is listed as a related link on ZEMA's website, indicating inter-agency coordination on water and environmental matters.
• Energy Regulation Board (ERB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERB is listed as a related link and was noted as a participant in Zambia's COP27 delegation, with ZEMA leading the climate reporting and GHG inventory coordination. ERB engages on climate action as it relates to its energy regulation mandate.
• Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZEMA is a GRZ statutory body established by the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011. GRZ provides parliamentary funding and policy direction. ZEMA coordinates with various GRZ ministries including MGEE, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, and others on environmental management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zimbabwe Environmental Management Agency (EMA): Zimbabwe's statutory environmental regulator, sharing nearly identical name, mandate, and structure with ZEMA; both administer EIAs, issue environmental licences, and enforce environmental legislation in neighbouring Southern African countries with comparable legal traditions.
• National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya: Kenya's principal environmental regulator under the EMCA Act, responsible for EIA review, environmental licensing, and pollution control, providing a directly comparable institutional peer in East Africa with similar mandate scope and statutory authority.
• National Environment Management Council (NEMC) of Tanzania: Tanzania's statutory body for environmental management under the EMA2004, charged with EIA administration, environmental standards enforcement, and pollution control — directly comparable to ZEMA in mandate and operating model within the East African region.
• Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) – South Africa: South Africa's national environmental administration department responsible for environmental policy, regulation, and EIA oversight, providing a larger but structurally comparable statutory environmental regulator in the SADC region.
• Ghana Environmental Protection Agency: Ghana's national environmental regulator under the EPA Act 1994 (Act 490), with mandate for EIA review, environmental permitting, and pollution control, closely mirroring ZEMA's regulatory scope in another African jurisdiction.
• National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) – Nigeria: Nigeria's federal environmental enforcement agency responsible for environmental standards, regulations, and enforcement, including EIA review and permitting — directly comparable in mandate and statutory structure to ZEMA at national scale.
• National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Uganda: Uganda's statutory environmental regulator under the NEMA Act, Cap153, performing EIA review, environmental licensing, and compliance enforcement — a directly comparable peer to ZEMA in the East African neighbourhood.
• Malawi Environmental Affairs Department: Malawi's lead environmental authority responsible for environmental policy, EIA administration, and pollution control, offering a closely comparable public-sector environmental regulator in a neighbouring SADC economy.

Broad incumbents

• UK Environment Agency: England's principal environmental regulator with a much broader mandate covering waste, water, industry, and flood risk; provides a scaled-up benchmark for a statutory environmental regulator with licensing, monitoring, and enforcement functions similar to ZEMA's.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The United States' federal environmental regulator with broad statutory authority over air, water, hazardous waste, and pesticides — analogous in role to ZEMA but operating at federal scale with substantially larger resources and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zemazambia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3IOB0SxIo8oDb7wzplhdaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/zemazambia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zemazambia
• Instagraminstagram.com/zemazambia/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zambia Environmental Management Agency