The Zambia Institute for Strategic Management (ZiSM) has positioned its tree-planting exercise held alongside the 2026 Strategy Conference as a long-term environmental intervention aimed at strengthening climate resilience, Vice President Crallybell Nambeye Musonda has said.
Ms Musonda said the initiative, conducted during the conference, was deliberately designed to move beyond symbolic gestures and deliver measurable environmental benefits, including improved air quality, enhanced biodiversity and urban greening.
“We wanted this to be more than a ceremonial activity. The objective was to create a tangible environmental legacy linked to the conference while contributing to climate resilience,” she said.
She explained that sustainability measures had been put in place to ensure the survival of the planted trees, with local authorities and school environmental clubs tasked with custodianship.
Pupils are expected to play a central role in watering, monitoring and maintaining the seedlings, including replacing those that fail to survive.
The exercise was anchored on the conference theme, “Shaping Zambia’s Future: Strategic Choices for Shared Prosperity,” which, Ms Musonda said, underscores the need to integrate environmental protection into national development.
“Tree planting is a strategic investment in natural capital. It demonstrates that economic growth, tourism and public health depend on how well we safeguard the environment,” she said.
She added that the initiative also targeted behavioural change among young people by positioning them as custodians of the country’s future.
“Through this programme, we are sending a clear message to pupils that they are not just beneficiaries of Zambia’s future, but active participants in protecting it,” she said.
Ms Musonda disclosed that pupils from local schools actively participated in the planting exercise and related learning sessions, with ZiSM planning to roll out sustained school outreach programmes, environmental education and annual green initiatives to maintain youth involvement.
To ensure accountability, she said the institute had set defined targets for tree planting during the conference and would expand the programme to other provinces while tracking survival rates.
“We are moving away from one-off interventions to measurable and scalable environmental programmes,” she said.
Ms Musonda further emphasised that ZiSM’s approach combines policy advocacy with practical action, including promoting green leadership and encouraging institutions to integrate sustainability into corporate strategies.
The exercise attracted participation from corporate partners, including the Bank of Zambia, National Pension Scheme Authority, Zambia Revenue Authority, Zambia National Commercial Bank, ZAMTEL Infratel and the Workers Compensation Fund Control Board, reflecting what Ms Musonda described as shared environmental responsibility.
She said the involvement of corporate institutions signalled a growing commitment to corporate social responsibility and long-term environmental investment, while also strengthening partnerships between government agencies, industry and communities.
“Tree planting with corporate partners demonstrates that protecting the environment is a shared national responsibility and a key component of sustainable development,” she said.
Meanwhile, ZiSM also launched the Organisational Strategy Diagnostic Assessment Tool (OSDAT) during the conference to help institutions bridge the gap between strategy formulation and implementation, which Ms Musonda said is critical to sustaining economic growth and achieving shared prosperity.
She noted that the combined outcomes of the conference would leave Livingstone with greener public spaces, increased youth awareness on environmental stewardship and strengthened collaboration between local institutions and national leaders.
“In this way, the conference leaves behind not just policy discussions, but a visible and living symbol of our commitment to sustainable development,” Ms Musonda said.
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