By By Phephile Motau
Eswatini NDC has been shortlisted in four categories in the first-ever African NDC Investment Awards. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement which is a legally binding international treaty on climate change requires each party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve. Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, to achieve the objectives of such contributions.
Eswatini submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015 and ratified the Paris Agreement on 21st September 2016. A revised version was submitted in October 2021, and it shows that the estimated total cost of implementing NDC is about E16.9 billion (US$950) million to E26.7billion (US$1.5 billion).
The ceremony will take place on November 8 in collaboration with the host partner, the African Green Infrastructure Investment Bank (AfGIIB), at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
According to www.africa.com, these first-of-their-kind Awards, sponsored by the African Green Infrastructure Investment Bank (AfGIIB), are designed to recognize achievements across the main NDC project sectors and reward the governments, institutions, and individuals driving transactions and improving the investment readiness of Africa’s NDC projects requiring $3trn of investment by 2030.
Commenting on the release of the shortlist, Dr Hubert Danso, Chairman of Africa investor Group and the Chair of the NDC Investment Awards Adjudication panel, said they were very excited about this new set of Africa investor Awards for African NDC project sponsors, developers, financiers, and investors.
“The calibre of shortlisted candidates, comprising 100 projects, representing $32bn of NDC financing and investment opportunities, from 43 African countries and all five African sub-regions. This growing community of leaders are critical to the continent mobilising the required $3trn of green investment by 2030, to pursue Africa’s NetZero aspirations. We, therefore, consider ourselves privileged, to be showcasing and bringing global recognition to Africa’s NDC project development and investment community and promoting African NDC project investment opportunities and success stories.”
The NDC Investment Awards high-level Adjudication panel consist of Dr Danso, Chairman of Africa investor Group and the Chair of the NDC Awards Adjudication panel, Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and UN SRSG for Sustainable Energy for All, Co-Chair of UN-Energy and Ziad-Alexandre Hayek, President of the World Association of PPP Units (WAPPP).
It also consists of John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Guly Sabahi, Senior Advisor: Climate Finance, NDC Partnership, Kandeh Yumkella, Former UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General and CEO and Luisa Moreno, Managing Director of Tahuti Global.
Eswatini has been shortlisted in the following categories:
- Best Education NDC Initiative of the Year
- Establishment of Air Quality Monitoring System and Agency and Education and Training in Eswatini
- Best Energy NDC Initiative of the Year
- LPG Production to Cut Down on Deforestation Initiative in Eswatini
- Best Transport NDC Initiative of the Year
- Eswatini Transportation Emission Reduction Project
- Best Urban Development NDC of the Year
- SURE: Strengthening Urban Resilience in Eswatini through Climate Proofing Green, Grey and Blue Infrastructure Project
