The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has secured a US$1 million (approximately N$18 million) grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to strengthen Namibia’s climate finance ecosystem and position the country to unlock significantly larger climate-related investments.
The funding was approved under the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme and follows DBN’s accreditation to the Green Climate Fund in July 2025, making it one of a limited number of accredited entities eligible to access the facility’s readiness support window.
The grant will fund a two-year programme titled Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Catalysing Private Sector Climate Investments in Namibia, which will be implemented between 2026 and 2027.
According to DBN, the programme is aimed at enhancing the bank’s institutional capacity and technical readiness to mobilise, manage and deploy climate finance while encouraging greater private-sector participation in climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
The initiative will also focus on developing a pipeline of bankable climate projects capable of attracting international funding.
A key objective of the programme is the preparation of concept notes and funding proposals for submission to the Green Climate Fund, which could pave the way for Namibia to access substantially larger climate finance resources.
Through its GCF accreditation, DBN is eligible to access up to US$250 million in climate finance to support projects focused on climate resilience, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and other low-carbon development initiatives.
DBN Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer Jerome Mutumba said the grant strengthens the institution’s role as a national vehicle for mobilising climate finance.
“This milestone strengthens DBN’s ability to unlock climate finance and direct it towards impactful investments that support Namibia’s transition to a resilient and low-carbon economy. It also creates an opportunity to crowd in private-sector participation and scale up climate-related investments across key sectors,” Mutumba said.
Over the implementation period, DBN plans to engage government institutions, businesses, investors and development partners through stakeholder outreach programmes, capacity-building initiatives and collaborative platforms aimed at expanding participation in climate finance.
The bank said these efforts are expected to improve the ability of Namibian institutions and businesses to access climate-related funding opportunities while supporting the development of innovative climate solutions across the economy.
