The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has committed to planting 1 000 trees across the country in the next 12 months, to address climate change.

This was announced by PDM leader McHenry Venaani on Saturday during the party’s central committee meeting held in Windhoek.

“As the movement of change and in line with the dynamic and transformative governance of this movement, we affirm to plant 1 000 trees across the breadth and length of our Republic in the next 12 months. Our shadow minister of environment shall be tasked with leading this initiative and ushering in a new age of green governance and geopolitics,” Venaani announced.

Venaani highlighted that the United Nations Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change in 2018 predicted that some of the most severe social and economic damage from the rise in global temperatures could come as soon as 2040.

“Our natural assets are under an unprecedented threat from climate change, environmental degradation and the loss of our biodiversity. We require coordinated and integrated responses to climate change for the effective management of the inevitable impact of climate change. We must all make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations so that economic and social development can proceed in an environmentally sustainable manner,” he said.

The official opposition leader noted that developed countries must continue to honour their historic obligations and responsibilities, as part of their commitments made in the context of the global partnership for development.

“In line with this, we urge the developed countries to deliver on their official development assistance (ODA) commitments of 0.7 per cent of their gross national income. The means of implementation is fundamental to the success of countries meeting their developmental needs, and achieving the SDGs, yet it is the one area that has received neither the appropriate attention, nor the requisite priority,” Venaani said.

Source: Namibia Press Agency