Namibia plans to make climate action a legal duty
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Namibian
Namibia wants to make it compulsory for government decisions and work plans to take climate change into account. A proposed amendment to the Environmental Management Act would also give the minister specific powers and allow greenhouse gas emissions to be regulated, according to adviser Kauna Schroder.
Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is preparing a bill that would make action on climate change mandatory across government, according to The Namibian. The bill would require the relevant ministries to incorporate these issues into their strategic and annual plans, and authorise the environment minister to take measures in this area.
Presented on Friday at a public consultation in Windhoek, the amendments would also give the environmental commissioner the power to develop and enforce standards on greenhouse gas emissions. Kauna Schroder, an adviser to the commissioner, said the reform was intended to align Namibian law with the country’s international commitments and provide a legal basis for its climate negotiations under the UN.
The bill would also change the environmental clearances required for projects. Applicants would have to submit closure and restoration plans and then pay a deposit to the state, which would be returned if they rehabilitated the sites concerned. Namibia’s Environmental Management Act, which regulates activities with environmental impacts, does not currently mention climate change. The country relies in particular on its climate policy and its nationally determined contributions, known as NDC 3.0.
