13/08/2026
🔊 This week, our Energy, Environment and Climate Justice team is in Namibia...
Convening a 5-day scenarios building workshop with the Energy Reference Group (ERG) for Sustainable Energy Futures (SEF) for Namibia – organised in partnership with the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology - NCRST. This convening – still ongoing, has so far elicited some thought-provoking questions, ideas and opportunities worth exploring further on the current and future of Namibia’s sustainable energy.
The over-arching questions in the room went beyond ‘How do we develop Namibia?’, they interrogate further: What does development mean to Namibians? What kind of energy system does Namibia need to support its development for the next 25 years? How does Namibia use its natural resources without repeating the mistakes of other resource-rich countries? And most importantly, who gets to shape the future?
And, from the discussions in the room, a recurring theme is clear: Namibia should not simply replicate development models from elsewhere, and recognise that social foundations, governance, infrastructure, education, health, employment and environmental sustainability are not only functions of determining economic performance but also as interconnected building blocks of development.
Through interactive discussions, we continue to examine the journey over the past 25 years across governance, society and culture, technology, economy and jobs, energy systems and the environment, towards developing plausible energy scenarios for Namibia to the year 2050. Participants continue to identify key changes, turning points, drivers and emerging trends that have shaped where Namibia is today. These exercises and discussions help the stakeholders in the room to connect the past to the future by highlighting opportunities, challenges and uncertainties that can inform the choices Namibia needs to make over the next 25years.
💡 Perhaps the most important takeaway so far is sustainable futures are not only about technology and resources; they are also about choices, institutions and inclusion.
❓ The conversation continues: What should a Namibian development model look like and what direction should Namibia take over the next 25 years?
