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Go Green - No empty slogan
Go Green is not just another environmental slogan, but an outstanding example of how corporate responsibility can make a contribution to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
Established in 2001 by Nedbank Namibia, the Go Green Fund has pledged over N$2 million to projects in the country - ranging from the preservation of endangered species and the creation of public awareness to environmental education for underprivileged children.
Projects that have received support from the Go Green Fund include the:
- Wild Dog Research Project
- Kunene Lion Project
- Black Mongoose Project
- Supporting Environmental Education for Underprivileged Project
- Predators on Livestock Farms in Namibia booklet
- Avis Dam - a rehabilitation project
- Namibia Biodiversity Database Project
- Brown Hyaena Research Project
Conservation of the Cape vulture, the fencing of the breeding grounds of the Damara tern between Swakopmund and Langstrand and the creation of awareness about the lichen fields along the coast are among the other projects supported by the Go Green Fund.
Go Green is unique in that:
- It is linked to specific corporate products.
- The selection of projects is done by a neutral organisation.
- The performance of projects is assessed on a regular basis.
The success of the Go Green Fund, the first non-profit fund for environmental conservation and the first of its kind in Namibia, has spread far beyond the borders of Namibia and Southern Africa. It has been hailed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a corporate success without equal.
Applications for project funds must be supported by a detailed motivation on how the objectives of the funds will be achieved and only the best-motivated projects are approved. Depending on the funds raised, three to five projects are funded each year.
The Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) has been appointed by the Fund as the financial and technical manager of all grants under the Go Green Fund. Recipients must provide detailed technical and financial reports to the NNF on a regular basis and a final technical report must be submitted on completion of the project.
Go Green is funded by contributions made by Nedbank Namibia for certain products sold in the Go Green suite. For every home loan funded through Nedbank Namibia, N$500 goes to the Fund, while N$150 is donated to the Fund for every Nedbank Vehicle Finance arrangement exceeding a predetermined amount – at absolutely no cost to the client.
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