The Republic of Namibia has reiterated its appeal for amplified access to climate finance, cutting-edge technology, and capacity-building mechanisms to facilitate the fulfilment of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This call to action was made during a high-level stakeholder consultation convened in Windhoek on Monday.
Presiding over the opening of the two-day deliberations, Mr Petrus Muteyauli, Deputy Director for Multilateral Environmental Agreements within the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, declared Namibia’s intention to curtail its greenhouse gas emissions by an ambitious 65 percent relative to the business-as-usual trajectory. Further, the nation aims to augment its carbon sink capacity by an additional 5,000 metric tonnes.
“To actualise this commitment, Namibia must secure enhanced financial inflows, technological innovation, and comprehensive capacity reinforcement,” stated Mr Muteyauli.
Over the past decade, Namibia has succeeded in mobilising approximately 4 billion Namibian dollars (equivalent to circa 204 million US dollars) in climate finance. This capital, primarily sourced from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility, Special Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund, underpins both mitigation and adaptation endeavours across various sectors.
Currently, projects valued at an estimated 1.3 billion Namibian dollars are underway.
In an effort to accelerate direct access to the GCF, four national institutions — namely, the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), Agricultural Bank of Namibia (AgriBank), Bank Windhoek, and the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) — are seeking accreditation and support for transformative climate programmes. The conceptual frameworks for these initiatives were under peer review at the workshop.
The NNF has proposed a 10 million US dollar initiative aimed at fostering regenerative, climate-resilient agricultural practices within northern communal farming zones. Simultaneously, AgriBank is seeking 250 million US dollars to establish a Climate-Smart Agriculture Transformation Facility.
In the realm of energy and infrastructure, Bank Windhoek is championing a 50 million US dollar “Clean Energy Facility” to facilitate Namibia’s transition to renewable energy and decarbonise its national electricity grid. DBN has tabled a 250 million US dollar programme to fortify water security in urban municipalities.
Namibia’s climate resilience aspirations are integrally aligned with the nation’s long-term strategic frameworks — Vision 2030 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan II — both of which foreground inclusive economic advancement, ecological sustainability, and social equity.
