By: Dwight Links
The 30th UN Conference of the Parties (COP30) kicks off this week from 10 to 21 November in the Brazilian city of Belém.
This year’s 11-day gathering in Brazil’s northern state of Pará, against the backdrop of the lower Amazon region of South America, will see nations try to negotiate long-outstanding global climate deals.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been part of various pre-summit engagements in Brazil.
State House outlined that the 10-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement is something that Namibia upholds, as new confirmations were made this past week.
“While marking 10 years of the Paris Agreement at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Namibia reaffirmed its commitment to climate action through its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which serve as the country’s national climate plan outlining how it intends to cut emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and build a greener, more resilient future,” State House explained.
Highlighting Africa’s wealth in critical minerals essential for green technologies, President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the continent still benefits little from its own resources.
She reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to beneficiation and value addition through local mineral processing and an energy-mix policy designed to power inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The country sets out 17 mitigation measures and 34 adaptation actions across key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and transport. These efforts aim to reduce an estimated 11.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
“This is a bold target for a nation that already absorbs more carbon than it emits. To achieve this ambition, Namibia estimates a total of USD 15 billion (approximately N$285 billion) that is needed, with USD 13 billion (around N$247 billion) planned to be derived from international support,” the Presidency indicated.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah called on developed nations and global institutions to scale up climate finance, strengthen technology transfer, and ensure fair access to green investment, emphasising that global commitments must be matched by real resources.
“Climate finance should move beyond pledges and be accessible directly to developing countries,” said the President, while urging member nations that the Loss and Damage Fund complements new global finance goals for a fairer, more resilient world.
She also attended another platform on energy transition on Friday, where the head of state encouraged fellow leaders to make global climate action a reality.
“While addressing the Energy Transition Thematic Session at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, President Nandi-Ndaitwah urged the global community to pursue climate action that is fair, equitable and inclusive of developing nations,” State House added.
Moreover, President Nandi-Ndaitwah cautioned that an imbalance in carbon development is not beneficial for the world.
“Unless the world adopts a balanced approach to low-carbon development, we would be planning for maladaptation, failure and the destruction of livelihoods,” she indicated at the platform for energy transition.
In summary, the President emphasised that a just transition must address the social, economic and cultural disparities between nations. According to her, developing countries must be supported with the means to industrialise and lift people out of poverty, especially vulnerable communities, women, and children.
