Namibia ‘must interrogate greenwashing’

There is a lack of harmony between the policies and international treaties Namibia has signed and the country’s ability to actually reach targets set out by these instruments.

This according to political scientist and author Professor Andre du Pisani, who spoke at a recent panel discussion on corruption and greenwashing.

“We are required follow and to sign off on all these international agreements and we say we will meet these targets, but we know in our hearts of hearts that we would not be able to,” he said.

He urged Namibians to move away from Western traditions and towards people-based, sustainable development with a focus on eco-friendliness.

Meanwhile, anti-corruption activist Professor Chuma Nwokolo said when Namibians look at the topic of greenwashing, they must ask themselves at what point they would assess whether an entity entering their industries is really a green enterprise.

Greenwashing occurs when an organisation spends more time and money marketing itself as environmentally-friendly than actually minimising its environmental impact.

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