UNU Co-hosts Symposium Exploring Investment Towards Clean Energy in Lesotho

The Hon. Lejone Mpotjoane, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of Lesotho, reflected on the urgency of addressing energy poverty in a way that is equitable and locally driven: “As we confront the dual challenges of energy poverty and climate vulnerability, we are reminded that solutions must be bold, homegrown and rooted in justice,” he remarked, before inviting His Majesty King Letsie III to deliver the keynote address.

In a compelling keynote speech, His Majesty King Letsie III introduced the His Majesty King Letsie III Just Energy Transition Fund (HMKLIII – JET Fund), an innovative mechanism designed to mobilize private capital for renewable energy development. His speech highlighted the fund’s ambition to catalyse investment in solar, wind and hydropower, enabling Lesotho to become an energy exporter for the region.  

Reflecting on Lesotho’s history of economic dependence on South Africa’s mining sector, His Majesty described the energy transition as a chance to chart a new, self-reliant course: “The irony of the global climate crisis is that it has provided Lesotho, a country deprived of conventional primary economic resources, with a new lease on life… Our time has come to economically exploit the opportunities presented by the energy transition imperative driven by the 2015 Paris Agreement.”

He closed by inviting all partners to join Lesotho in this historic endeavour.