Dealing with climate change
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has drawn national attention to the need to act on climate change. Here follows an important insight recently issued by the ministry about Namibia’s part in the global effort to take on this immense task.
Ratification of the Paris Agreement
HE. Dr. Geingob Paris Agreement signed the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Headquarters on 22nd April 2016 and it was subsequently ratified in Parliament and Namibia’s instrument of ratification was submitted to the United Nations on 21st September 2016.
The Agreement unites all the nations of the world into a first-ever universal, legally binding global deal to tackle climate change. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The agreement is due to enter into force in 2020.
Namibia ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1995 and resolved to adopt and implement policies and measures designed to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on the environment and to adapt to such change.
At the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015, 197 countries agreed to a first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal known as the Paris Agreement.
This legally binding treaty comes with domestic obligations and opportunities for Namibia, as a country highly vulnerable to climate change.
It aims to hold the increase in global average temperature well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5oC. This is an ambitious aim, which, if achieved, could reduce the catastrophic impacts from climate change on vulnerable countries such as Namibia.
The agreement places a legal obligation on developed countries to continue to provide climate finance to developing countries. It is recognized that this finance should be scaled-up and developed country parties are required to report biennially on the amount of public financial resources made available to developing countries. Other Parties were encouraged to provide financial support to developing countries but on a voluntary basis. There is now good scope for Namibia to receive financial support for large-scale projects in areas such as climate smart agriculture, water security and renewable energy.
A global goal on climate change adaptation to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Climate change adaptation is an important priority for Namibia and it is recognized as being equally important as mitigation in the Paris Agreement.
The establishment of a technology framework to promote and facilitate enhanced action on technology development and transfer.
Cooperation to enhance the capacity of developing country parties so that they can take effective climate change action, including in the areas of technology development, dissemination and deployment, access to climate finance, relevant aspects of education, training and public awareness, and the transparent, timely and accurate communication of information.
The adoption of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) as the main vehicles for identifying national targets and priorities in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Each Party must submit these documents every 5 years to the Convention and information on progress in implementation and achieving NDCs must also be provided by all country parties. It is hoped that this will ensure that global actions are undertaken and effective in reducing the global temperature increase.
A global stocktake on the implementation of this agreement and its long-term goals will be undertaken for the first time in 2023. Thereafter it will take place every five years. An expert-based committee will also be established to serve as a mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of this Agreement. These provisions strengthen the possibility that the Agreement will be successfully implemented.
HE. Dr. Geingob Paris Agreement signed the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Headquarters on 22nd April 2016 and it was subsequently ratified in Parliament and Namibia’s instrument of ratification was submitted to the United Nations on 21st September 2016.
The Agreement unites all the nations of the world into a first-ever universal, legally binding global deal to tackle climate change. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The agreement is due to enter into force in 2020.
Namibia ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1995 and resolved to adopt and implement policies and measures designed to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on the environment and to adapt to such change.
At the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015, 197 countries agreed to a first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal known as the Paris Agreement.
This legally binding treaty comes with domestic obligations and opportunities for Namibia, as a country highly vulnerable to climate change.
It aims to hold the increase in global average temperature well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5oC. This is an ambitious aim, which, if achieved, could reduce the catastrophic impacts from climate change on vulnerable countries such as Namibia.
The agreement places a legal obligation on developed countries to continue to provide climate finance to developing countries. It is recognized that this finance should be scaled-up and developed country parties are required to report biennially on the amount of public financial resources made available to developing countries. Other Parties were encouraged to provide financial support to developing countries but on a voluntary basis. There is now good scope for Namibia to receive financial support for large-scale projects in areas such as climate smart agriculture, water security and renewable energy.
A global goal on climate change adaptation to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Climate change adaptation is an important priority for Namibia and it is recognized as being equally important as mitigation in the Paris Agreement.
The establishment of a technology framework to promote and facilitate enhanced action on technology development and transfer.
Cooperation to enhance the capacity of developing country parties so that they can take effective climate change action, including in the areas of technology development, dissemination and deployment, access to climate finance, relevant aspects of education, training and public awareness, and the transparent, timely and accurate communication of information.
The adoption of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) as the main vehicles for identifying national targets and priorities in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Each Party must submit these documents every 5 years to the Convention and information on progress in implementation and achieving NDCs must also be provided by all country parties. It is hoped that this will ensure that global actions are undertaken and effective in reducing the global temperature increase.
A global stocktake on the implementation of this agreement and its long-term goals will be undertaken for the first time in 2023. Thereafter it will take place every five years. An expert-based committee will also be established to serve as a mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance with the provisions of this Agreement. These provisions strengthen the possibility that the Agreement will be successfully implemented.
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