PRETORIA / CAPE TOWN
18 OCTOBER 2011
Good afternoon
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We meet this afternoon following the approval
by Cabinet last week Wednesday of Government’s
National Climate Change Response Policy.With
this National Climate Change Response Policy,
South Africa now has a clear roadmap of
how the nation must respond to the global
challenge of climate change.
Like other countries,
the number one threat to our sustainable
development, economic growth and quality
of life is related to the impacts of climate
change. Early impacts are being felt on
agricultural production, food prices and
food security, which will have disastrous
social and economic consequences if we do
not take bold steps to address climate change.
The South African government is committed
to playing its part in ensuring that we
take active and bold steps to respond to
this lurking threat.
This policy will guide
Government’s approach to climate change
impacts and our transition to a climate
resilient and low-carbon economy – premised
on our commitment to sustainable development
and a better life for all. It also aims
to ensure that all sectors of the South
African society take part in the effort
to mainstream climate-resilient development.
The development of the
policy has a long history, starting almost
exactly six years ago, and coincides with
an apparent increase in the frequency and
intensity of some alarming extreme weather
events across the world. The finalisation
of this ground-breaking policy also coincides
with the forthcoming 17th Conference of
the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP17)
and the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the
Kyoto Protocol (CMP 7) being held in Durban
from 28 November to 9 December 2011.
The South African government
recognises that the impacts of Climate Change
have the potential to completely undermine
developmental gains that have been made
up till now. The study of climate change
economics conducted by Sir Nicholas Stern
showed that if no action is taken to mitigate
climate change it would cost between 10%
and 15% of global GDP by 2050.
Firstly, the policy
confirms that climate change is already
a measurable reality and along with other
developing countries, South Africa is especially
vulnerable to its impacts. The White Paper
presents the South African Government’s
vision for an effective climate change response
and the long-term, just transition to a
climate-resilient and lower-carbon economy
and society.
The policy also notes
that South Africa’s response to climate
change has two objectives:
(1) To effectively manage the inevitable
climate change impacts through interventions
that build and sustain South Africa’s social,
economic and environmental resilience and
emergency response capacity; and
(2) To make a fair contribution
to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse
gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere
at a level that avoids dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system within
a timeframe that enables economic, social
and environmental development to proceed
in a sustainable manner.
Our Policy is guided
by various principles set out in the Constitution,
the Bill of Rights, the National Environmental
Management Act, the Millennium Declaration
and the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change and these principles are
detailed in section 3 of the policy. The
policy also describes the overall strategic
approach for South Africa’s climate change
response as being needs driven and customised;
developmental; transformational, empowering
and participatory; dynamic and evidence-based;
balanced, cost effective as well as integrated
and aligned.
In terms of strategic
priorities, section 4 of the policy sets
out South Africa’s climate change response
strategy to achieve the policy objectives
in a manner consistent with its outlined
principles and approach and which is structured
around the following strategic priorities:
risk reduction and management; mitigation
actions with significant outcomes; sectoral
responses; policy and regulatory alignment;
informed decision making and planning; integrated
planning; technology research, development
and innovation; facilitated behaviour change;
behaviour change through choice; and resource
mobilisation.
In terms of adaptation,
section 5 of the policy includes a risk-based
process to identify and prioritise short-
and medium-term adaptation interventions
to be addressed in sector plans. The process
will also identify the adaptation responses
that require coordination between sectors
and departments and it will be reviewed
every five years. For the immediate future,
sectors that need particular attention are
water, agriculture and forestry, health,
biodiversity and human settlements. Resilience
to climate variability and climate change-related
extreme weather events will be the basis
for South Africa’s future approach to disaster
management and we will use region-wide approaches
where appropriate.
South Africa’s approach
to mitigation is addressed in section 6
of the policy and balances the country’s
contribution as a responsible global citizen
to the international effort to curb global
emissions with the economic and social opportunities
presented by the transition to a lower-carbon
economy as well as with the requirement
that the country successfully tackles the
development challenges facing it.
In addition to the direct
physical impacts of climate change, the
policy also notes that there are also secondary
economic impacts where South Africa may
be economically or socially vulnerable to
the impact of climate change related response
measures – i.e. measures taken by others
or ourselves to reduce Green House Gas (GHG)
emissions,either internationally or nationally,
that have negative economic or social consequences
for South African economic sectors, jobs,
welfare or even at local community level.
In section 7, the policy notes that Government
will take a multi-pronged approach to addressing
and managing response measures, especially
in respect of those that may have negative
consequences. It is also worth noting that
this policy has not been developed in a
vacuum as many sectors, organisations and
companies are already developing or implementing
climate change related action. The scaling
up and of these existing initiatives as
well as the immediate development and roll-out
of new proven so-called “no regret” policies
and measures are an integral part of this
White Paper.
Section 8 of the policy
introduces a suite of Near-term Priority
Flagship Programmes consisting of both new
initiatives and the scaling up of existing
initiatives that will be implemented while
the first sectoral desired emission reduction
outcomes and carbon budgets are being developed
and initial adaptation interventions prioritised.
Section 9 of the policy deals with jobs
and aims to limit jobs contraction to those
areas of the economy where excessive carbon
intensity is unsustainable, whilst promoting
and expanding the green economy sectors.
The policy also aims to promote investment
in human and productive resources that will
grow the green economy. To do this, Government
will assess the vulnerability of the different
economic sectors to climate change and develop
Sector Job Resilience Plans.
To mainstream climate-resilient
development, section 10 of the policy directs
that all Government departments and state-owned
enterprises will need to review the policies,
strategies, legislation, regulations and
plans falling within their jurisdictions
to ensure full alignment with the National
Climate Change Response within two years
of the publication of the policy.
On the basis of the
outcome of these reviews, government will
determine what adjustments need to be made
to achieve alignment with the goals and
objectives of the National Climate Change
Response, and will identify any additional
legislative or regulatory measures that
are needed. The National Climate Change
Response itself will be reviewed every five
years from the date of publication.
Government departments
will start communicating with citizens about
climate change to inform and educate them
and to influence their behavioural choices.
This includes setting up and maintaining
early warning systems so that our people
can take specific actions to reduce risks
to themselves, their households and property.
The policy also acknowledges
the need to mobilise financial, human and
knowledge resources to effectively address
climate change. To this end, Government
will use existing financial institutions
and instruments and it will help to develop
new ones. This includes international financial
assistance specifically for climate change
response actions. During the initial period
of transition to a climate-resilient and
lower-carbon economy and society, Government
will establish an interim climate finance
coordination mechanism to secure the necessary
resources for priority programmes.
Section 12 of the policy
recognises that the formulation of effective
responses to climate change requires a country-wide
monitoring and evaluation system to measure
climate variables at scales appropriate
to the institutions that must implement
climate change responses.
To monitor the success
of responses to climate change, and to replicate
the ones that have worked well, we need
to measure their cost, outcome and impact.
To this end, South Africa will, within two
years of the publication of the policy,
design and publish a draft Climate Change
Response Measurement and Evaluation System.
Although the Climate Change Response Monitoring
and Evaluation System will be based on South
African scientific measurement standards
and will be undertaken through the Presidency’s
Outcomes-Based System, it is expected that
the system will evolve with international
Measuring, Reporting and Verification requirements.
In conclusion, the policy
notes that, amongst a range of environmental
constraints that are of necessity playing
an increasing role in social and economic
development planning, climate change represents
the most urgent and far-reaching challenge
of our time. While every country will have
to develop its own adaptive responses to
the effects of climate change, effectively
mitigating climate change to ensure the
disruption caused to human and natural systems
is within manageable parameters can only
be achieved through a concerted and coherent
global response. Furthermore, responding
to climate change is a cross-generational
challenge. The effects of action or inaction
will not be felt immediately, but will have
significant consequences for future generations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
this policy represents our commitment to
adapt to climate change and contribute to
the global mitigation effort. In terms of
our contribution to the global mitigation
effort, the decision to institute sectoral
desired emission reduction outcomes and
the use of a carbon budget approach where
appropriate is regarded as being momentous
as it represents a concrete and practical
commitment by South Africa.
Realising this commitment
will require sustained effort and cooperation
from all spheres of government, the private
sector and civil society formations, and
ultimately will depend on decisions by individual
citizens to embrace climate-friendly lifestyles
and habits.
Working together we can still save tomorrow
today.
