The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council launched Namibia’s first ever Sustainable Development Award Programme.

The programme launched on Tuesday intends to recognise the importance of integrating sustainability into the core business and industry as well the daily lives of all Namibians.

The awards are intended to create awareness about the importance of sustainable development among Namibians, as well as recognise and reward outstanding contributions of organisations and individuals active in the envionment field.

According to the CEO of EIF, Benedict Libanda, this is recognition of the unique role the EIF can and must play in addressing these challenges.

“The Fund has therefore put in prizes amounting to N$ 310,000 in the following five categories, environmental excellence among industries, natural resource management and sustainable utilisation, research and development, thought leadership and environmental education and communication,” stated Libanda.

He said the spirit of the awards lies in the recognition of companies and individuals that have successfully integrated key aspects of sustainable development into their core business and industry as well as the daily lives of Namibians from all walks of life.

“Like most developing countries that rely on natural resource use for economic development, it only makes sense for Namibia to grow its economy in a sustainable manner. We are therefore excited to partner with the Sustainable Development Advisory Council in this initiative,” he said.

“The Sustainable Development Awards will be an annual event and we are convinced that the initiative will grow bigger and bigger,” he stated.

The chairperson of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council, Dr. Malan Lindeque was also present at the launch and he gave a remark, that at the heart of sustainable development is the need to conserve the environment and the integration of environment protection into how they develop as a nation, this applies to all sectors of the economy and industry.

According to Lindeque, the awards programme fits directly to the mandate and the awards on offer seeking to reach out to all sectors of society including industry, community-based organisations, scientists and research, outstanding leaders, as well as education and communication practitioners.

‘’I am confident that this award programme will raise awareness of the importance of sustainable development among all Namibians, recognise and reward the outstanding contribution of organisations and individuals active in this field and serve as an inspiration for those of us aspiring to contribute to the sustainable development of the nation,’’ says Lindeque.

Lindeque also gave a word of thanks to EIF for their support to this initiative, and for the generous prize money on offer.

Text: New Era