International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are backing the candidacy of Geneva, Switzerland to become the future host city of the Green Climate Fund, a key tool in the global fight against climate change. Five other countries are vying to host the fund – Namibia, Germany, Mexico, Poland and South Korea, Namibia's press agency Nampa reported. Green Cross International and the Climate Change Task Force are supporting the candidacy of Geneva, according to Alexander Likhotal , the president of Green Cross International and a member of the Task Force. Likhotal said in a media statement issued on Tuesday that Geneva would be an ideal candidate due to its experience in hosting international bodies, and its pro-green credentials. “Geneva is a city that has long supported multilateralism, and it is a hub for environmental actors from civil society and the inter-governmental system, including the United Nations. Geneva, and Switzerland at large, epitomize environmental sustainability and protection, and serve as examples for many countries to follow,” said Likhotal, who is a member of the support committee for the Green Climate Fund to be hosted in Geneva. Meanwhile, Namibian Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah early last month dismissed ‘malicious allegations' that Namibia had withdrawn to host the Green Climate Fund secretariat. Rumors have been doing the rounds that Namibia withdrew its bid since leaders of the fledgling United Nations' (UN) Green Climate Fund agreed at a first meeting at the end of August this year to choose a headquarters as part of a plan to oversee billions of dollars in aid to help developing nations fight global warming. Developed nations agreed in 2009 to raise climate aid, now worth about US$10 billion a year to an annual amount of US$100 billion from 2020 to help developing countries curb Greenhouse gas emissions and cope with floods, droughts, heatwaves and rising sea levels. The long-term goal of the fund is to “transform the livelihoods of people by responding to the impacts of climate change”. Green Cross International, with its headquarters in Geneva, is an independent non-profit and non-governmental organization working to address the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty and environmental degradation through a combination of advocacy and local projects.
