Justicia Shipena
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia will require about US$15 billion, or roughly N$270 billion, to achieve its climate mitigation and adaptation goals by 2030. She noted that most of this funding will rely on international support.
Speaking at the COP30 Heads of State Summit in Belém, Brazil, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the country’s adaptation efforts in agriculture, water, health, biodiversity and infrastructure will require about US$6 billion (around N$108 billion), with 90% expected to come from external sources.
She said mitigation measures are estimated to cost about US$9 billion (roughly N$162 billion), with 10% expected to be financed locally.
“In order to meet its targets on climate change by 2030, a robust resource mobilisation strategy based on common but differentiated responsibility must be implemented without failure,” she said.
She warned that widening financing gaps, rising public debt, and high borrowing costs continued to challenge developing nations.
“The cost of capital is exceptionally high for developing countries based on perceived risk that does not reflect realities on the ground,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah called for reform of the global financial system to ensure fair trade practices and affordable borrowing rates.
“We call upon member states, multilateral development banks and private investors to provide predictable, sustainable and accessible finance at affordable cost to support technology transfer and strengthen national capacities,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah urged delegates to ensure that COP30 operationalised the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, setting it at US$1.3 trillion to meet the urgent needs of developing countries.
She said over the past three decades, Namibia’s temperatures have risen by more than twice the global average, while droughts and floods have become more severe.
“These conditions threaten food security, water supplies, and public health,” she said, adding that droughts and floods had eroded GDP growth and reversed development gains.
Namibia’s second updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), targets a total mitigation of 11.9 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent by 2030 through emissions reduction and increased carbon removals.
Namibia remains a net carbon sink, with carbon removals in the land sector rising by 45% since 1990, according to the 2024 Biennial Transparency Report and Fifth National Communication submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat.
Namibia’s climate strategy also focused on restoring degraded rangelands and forests, protecting biodiversity, and reinforcing resilient infrastructure, including roads, energy systems, and coastal protection.
Through its participation, Namibia aims to deepen international cooperation, expand access to climate finance, and support national goals in renewable energy, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods.
Namibia is also hosting its National Pavilion at COP30 under the theme “Accelerating Green Transitions: Namibia’s Pathway to Climate Resilience and Sustainable Growth.”
The pavilion, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the Environmental Investment Fund, and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, serves as a platform for high-level discussions, investment dialogues and technical exchanges.
UN chief calls for 60% emission cuts by 2035
At the same summit, United Nations secretary general António Guterres called for urgent and coordinated global action to close the climate ambition gap.
He said current national plans were not enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
“Since the Paris Agreement was adopted ten years ago, Nationally Determined Contributions have been a barometer of countries’ climate ambitions. The latest NDCs represent some progress. But we must be honest in the Summit of Truth; the plans and policies on the table are still far from enough,” he said.
Guterres said it was still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century but warned that a temporary overshoot was now unavoidable.
He called for a 60% cut in global emissions by 2035 to stay on track, noting that the current NDCs only delivered a 10% reduction.
Of the 196 parties to the Paris Agreement, only 64 had submitted updated NDCs by the end of September.
He stressed that closing the financing gap for both mitigation and adaptation was essential.
Guterres emphasised the need to fully mobilise the US$300 billion promised to developing countries by 2035.
COP30, running from 10 to 21 November, focuses on advancing a just and inclusive transition, increasing climate finance, and safeguarding vulnerable communities from escalating climate risks.
COP30 will approve 100 global indicators to track progress on climate adaptation, allowing countries to measure and compare results.
Currently, 172 countries have at least one adaptation policy or plan, but 36 are outdated.
