Dean gets grant to help lower university’s carbon footprint

In a move that has been hailed by the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE), the University of Namibia (UNAM) is set to reduce its carbon footprint following the institution’s recent purchase of five electric vehicles (EVs) using a grant from the Welsh government and funding from Cardiff University.

Professor Judith Hall, executive dean of the faculty of health sciences and veterinary medicine at UNAM, wrote the applications that culminated in the university receiving funding from both entities. The grant from the Welsh government was not enough to buy all five vehicles, resulting in UNAM approaching Cardiff University which “agreed to direct some of its international funding to help finish the project”, Hall told University World News.

Hall said acquiring EVs was a double win for UNAM because the university was going to save two things at the same time – the planet, and some money. “It is incredibly important for UNAM to use EVs. Given the threat to us all from global climate change, we must (every person and every organisation) look at introducing carbon mitigation strategies to benefit the planet and stabilise our ecosystems,” Hall said.

“However, there is also a very significant cost saving for UNAM in this. The university has invested in a huge network of solar panels, thus the cost of charging a car is very low indeed.”

Several mitigating strategies in place

Hall said that, in addition to using EVs, UNAM has a host of other “climate mitigation” strategies, chief among them its solar network which Hall described as “massive”. She said the digitisation of documents at UNAM was now “second nature” and that “reverse osmosis water fountains are replacing plastic bottles”. But UNAM’s climate change mitigation strategies are not just internal, Hall said. The university also encourages its international partners to use QR code technology instead of printing.

The CEO of the NCE, Christopher Brown, said UNAM’s making use of EVs is a “good idea”. NCE is an umbrella body comprising several non-governmental organisations working on matters related to the environment and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Referring to UNAM’s purchase of EVs, Brown said it “allows students to do some research on the effectiveness of EVs and to think about what the country needs to allow for broader adoption of EVs”.

Brown said that it is important for public institutions to use EVs so they can “set an example”. He said: “If public institutions start using EVs, they will learn the constraints and hopefully put pressure on responsible government agencies and the private sector to fast-track the establishment of recharging facilities. And seeing public institutions [like UNAM] using EVs will encourage others to do so.”

Are EVs feasible in Namibia?

Brown, however, noted that there were some constraints to using EVs in Namibia. He said that, outside of major towns, there are no facilities for charging EVs in the country. “Namibia is a large country with long distances between towns. So, at the present time, EVs are not practical at scale. However, they are suitable for town use and for short-distance trips.” He was optimistic, however, that, in time, charging facilities will be established across the country.

Hall said that “Namibia is in the process of investing in a national network of chargers, and this will encourage the use of electric vehicles in Namibia.”

In the meantime, UNAM uses its EVs only for short trips, she added. “The vehicles are essentially for use around town. They currently have smallish batteries which will last for 140km,” Hall added.

Brown said the prospects for EVs in Namibia depend on several factors. “EVs will receive better support once, (a) they can travel further per charge, (b) their price becomes more competitive and, (c) a supporting infrastructure is established in Namibia. In a developing country, people are very sensitive to the purchase price of vehicles.”