Japanese government donates N$19 million to local project

The Japanese government donated N$19 million to the national validation of the carbon markets framework through the environment ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday.

This was announced by environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti at Walvis Bay.

“The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in close collaboration with the UNDP facilitated the preparation of the national framework,” he said.

Mufeti said the primary aim of the framework is to enable Namibia to participate in the international carbon market by setting out the processes for developing and implementing carbon activities in the country.

He said the processes for preparing the framework and consultative processes undertaken were to ensure that there is buy-in among key stakeholders.

“The findings from a carbon pricing instrument option analysis followed by capacity gap and readiness assessment informed the development of the framework.

“When preparing the framework, stakeholders provided valuable inputs at the beginning and throughout the process and the same is expected at the validation stage this morning, to ensure that expectations are adequately addressed in the framework,” Mufeti said.

He said the framework represents a formal national arrangement for Namibia’s engagement in the article 6 market mechanisms and the required high-level political endorsement prior to the framework’s implementation.

According to Mufeti, the role of both the public and private sectors in contributing to this ambition cannot be overemphasised but requires a conducive enabling environment.

“Therefore, this project is establishing a conducive and enabling environment for Namibia to pursue carbon market-based pricing options to allow for more stakeholders to participate in addressing climate change.

This will place Namibia among the front-runners in the SADC region to pilot and support the development as well as implementation of the carbon market framework,” he said.

Mufeti further thanked the government of Japan for its support to Namibia to realise their objective.

“The government of Namibia is, therefore, ready to provide the necessary support for the operationalisation of the carbon markets framework in the country,” he said.

Present at the event, Erongo governor Neville Andre said Namibia has seven years from today to achieve her Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“I am delighted that the Namibian government, through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, in partnership with the UNDP has launched this initiative to achieve the national development objectives as well as SDG goals,” he said.

According to Andre, the need to move fast to turn pledges into actions cannot be underscored.

Andre said he is pleased to note that the government of Namibia, with financial support from the government of Japan, has taken a bold action and commitment to develop the carbon markets initiative.