TIRI MASAWI
Namibia Development Trust Executive Director, Ronny Dampers has called for the creation of community share ownership trusts that will ensure the benefits accrued from the green hydrogen industry trickle down to the communities.
Speaking at a masterclass of civil society perspective on Green Hydrogen at the ongoing Global Africa Green Hydrogen conference on Wednesday, Dampers said Namibia’s green hydrogen industry should prioritise just energy transition that seeks to connect the most marginalized to the electricity grid.
A just energy transition is the process of shifting from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy in a way that is fair, inclusive, and equitable, ensuring that workers, vulnerable communities, and marginalized groups are not negatively impacted but rather benefit from the changes.
It addresses social, economic, and environmental risks while creating decent jobs, promoting social protection, and empowering these groups to participate in decision-making processes for a sustainable low-carbon future.
Dampers added that the green hydrogen industry in its current format prioritises exportation of energy at the expense of dealing with shortages of power at home.
“As civil society we need to push for policies that make sure that the benefits of the industry trickle down to tangible benefits for the communities. The creation of community share ownership trust will improve equitable share for the communities in the sector . We have done desktop research and compared how other countries make sure that benefits from the natural resources are enjoyed . We have made comparisons with Botswana , South Africa and Zambia. In Botswana the government makes sure that at least three percent of earnings made from natural resources benefit communities directly and indirectly,” he said.
He said it is vital for community participation in key platforms like the Global Africa Green Hydrogen conference.
“The marginalized and the voiceless are not taking part. We also need to push for gender equality and capacity building and amplify civil society voices.
“If green hydrogen is not about just energy transition it’s not important.Namibia must first and foremost look at its energy needs. We are very skeptical about this export centred priority on green hydrogen. For us the green hydrogen industry has not started at a good footing. The way the project was launched at an international level without engaging locals is worrisome. We do not know about it, we do not know about who owns it. Things seem to be improving and civil society needs to take advantage of that. At least an engagement has started,” he said.
He said Green hydrogen must bring decent jobs.
Social Justice Activist Jimmy Areseb said companies in the green hydrogen industry must widely consult with communities and create platforms where the communities can give feedback. He said mechanisms should be put in place that hold the players in the green hydrogen industry accountable for the jobs they promise to create.
“We need a straight roadmap on how the communities should benefit. Inclusion must be practical not symbolic. We want to see hospitals being built, schools being built and roads being constructed. If we do not do this we will see a scenario where communities will be reduced to spectators.
“It is useless for us to say implementers are creating employment so we need to develop the required skills within the communities .Let the inclusion of communities not be an after thought . Create capital budgets to help locals for example address water issues that are faced by communities,” he said.
He also added that, “Transparency is the foundation of trust. If as communities do not how the contracts are made how do we trust .if there is no trust in the long run it will create problems. Transparency should be legal, not based on good will.”
Areseb proposed the creation of a public green hydrogen register tracking all the projects to monitor how they are ploughing back to the community. “ Without that register we will just have to live with just words,” he said.
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