Bank of Namibia, RMB unite in sustainability push
The Bank of Namibia (BoN) and RMB recently co-hosted an event for the Namibia Sustainable Finance Alliance (NSFA), launched in October 2024. This voluntary platform, led by BoN, unites regulators, banks and associations to integrate sustainability into finance, advancing green bonds and climate-smart investments.
FirstRand Namibia’s chief risk officer, Teresa Louw, stressed cross-sector collaboration. “These forums matter deeply,” she said, “because they convene diverse institutions, perspectives, and expertise to tackle challenges that no single organisation can address alone.”
BoN deputy governor Ms Leonie Dunn’s keynote highlighted the need for resilience and responsible capital allocation. “Institutions are being called upon to think more deeply about resilience, transition, long-term value creation, and the quality of capital allocation,” she said.
Triple Capital’s Ms Louise Brown pointed to vast shortfalls in Namibia and Africa, where climate projects rely heavily on public funds. Adaptation efforts—longer-term and less investor-friendly than mitigation—are critically underserved but offer private sector opportunities to manage risks and prevent losses.
RMB’s Mr Tshepo Ntsane positioned Namibia to draw sustainable and transition finance for its energy shift. Transition finance targets hard-to-abate sectors for Paris Agreement-aligned decarbonisation, investments not “green” today but structured for future emissions cuts. Namibia’s NDCs require $15 billion by 2030, with 90% from external sources, demanding credible frameworks to close the gap.
Bank Windhoek’s Joachim Komeheke explained bankability hurdles: irrigation works via crop sales, but biodiversity projects falter due to unclear revenue. “The business case is difficult to pinpoint,” he said. “We see a few of the adaptation finance opportunities come to our tables, but because we don’t have the right blend of solutions, it is difficult to bank those types of projects.”
TGovernment Institutions Pension Fund representative Immanuel Kadhila affirmed investor readiness.
“From the perspective of long-term investors, there is no lack of willingness to invest in climate resilient instruments.” What’s needed: “tangible pipelines, well-structured products, and cashflows that can be proven.” Climate finance must enter mainstream allocation.
The NSFA scales expertise and capital for Namibia’s green transition, leveraging renewables and position as a regional hub.
