- According to the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, the second draft of the climate change bill, is currently being debated by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
The minister explained: “In line with our understanding that our climate change response has to involve all sectors of society, the second draft of our climate change bill is currently being discussed and debated at Nedlac.
“The bill aims to create a framework to implement the Vision 2030 call for a just transition to a climate-resilient and lower-carbon economy and society.”
Creecy said once the second draft of the bill leaves Nedlac, it will return to the department for social partner inputs at Nedlac – business, government and labour – to be considered and incorporated into what will be a third and final draft of the bill.
This will then be forwarded to Cabinet for approval before being tabled in Parliament.
The objectives of the bill are to provide for a coordinated and integrated response to climate change, effective management of inevitable climate change impacts and to make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations – all to ensure that economic and social development occur in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Creecy said: “Right now, such far-reaching change is hard to imagine. Society at large is worried about immediate issues of energy security, job losses and retrenchments.
“This means that while we debate the climate change bill, we must of necessity also discuss the objectives and the process of the just transition itself and ensure that it takes place in an orderly manner. We must tread our future path towards 2050, while maintaining energy security and creating employment.”
Author: Babalwa Bungane
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
Story source: SANews.gov.za
