Climate Action Professionals Zambia v. Zambia Environmental Management Agency and the Attorney General

On July 8, 2026, Climate Action Professionals Zambia, a company limited by guarantee that works on environmental and climate advocacy and awareness, filed a constitutional petition before the High Court of Zambia (Constitutional Jurisdiction, Principal Registry, Lusaka) against the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Attorney General. The petitioner alleges that the failure to operationalize two statutory funds infringes, or is likely to infringe, the right to life under Article 12(1) of the Constitution of Zambia.

The petition first concerns the Environment Fund, established under Section 95(1) of the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011 and intended, among other purposes, for mitigating or restoring environmental degradation and adverse effects on the environment (Section 97(a)). The petitioner contends that ZEMA has still not implemented the fund more than fifteen years after the Act was passed. It also concerns the Green Economy and Climate Change Fund, established under Section 34(1) of the Green Economy and Climate Change Act No. 18 of 2024 to manage green economy and climate change interventions. The petitioner contends that the fund has not been implemented more than a year and a half after the Act was enacted, and it attributes that failure to the Attorney General as second respondent.

The petitioner seeks declarations that the right to life under Article 12(1) is interlinked with the right to a clean, safe and healthy environment, and that each respondent's failure to implement its respective fund infringes or is likely to infringe the right to life. It also seeks orders compelling ZEMA to implement the Environment Fund and the Attorney General to implement the Green Economy and Climate Change Fund, plus any other relief the court deems fit. The petition was drawn and filed by KAN Legal Practitioners, and the case is pending.