- The National Assembly in South Africa has passed the country’s Climate Change Bill.
- The Bill seeks to enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term, just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa in the context of sustainable development; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
- The Bill also seeks to provide for a coordinated response by the three spheres of government.
- Lobby groups argue that the bill is fundamentally flawed and favours heavy carbon emitters. Read more
Before put to a vote, the debate was opened by Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy. “Today, this House will complete the first stage in ensuring our country has a legal instrument to build resilience to the impacts of climate change and reduce emissions that is in a way that is appropriate to our national circumstances and development pathway. The sixth report on the international panel on climate change shows us that the world is already dangerously closed to an average temperature increase of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times. We must move with speed to reduce carbon emissions to limit the severity of climate change impacts,” said Creecy.
Link to the Climate Change Bill HERE
Related news: South Africa’s climate change bill falls short of addressing the urgency of the climate crisis
Important milestone for COP28
Creecy, jointly with the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), will host a national stakeholder consultation tomorrow, Thursday 26 October 2023, ahead of the upcoming Dubai international climate talks. The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November – 12 December 2023.
The stakeholder consultation aims to consolidate South Africa’s position for the climate change negotiations towards COP28, provide information and an update on the status of the international negotiations in UNFCCC and raise public awareness around climate change and the country’s response efforts.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
