South Africa News Brief and Action Alert

South African Government Uses Widespread Consultative Process to Develop a National Climate Change Policy

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023

The national climate change policy of South Africa was developed as a result of a collaboration between researchers and policymakers. The beginning of the climate change response policy development process started at the 2005 National Climate Change and Science Conference. About 600 government, business, science, academic and civil society representatives gathered at the conference and discussed new policy elements.

The Conference allowed different scientists to meet. These scientists included African and international scientists who had published their work in high-influence journals. They managed to share their research discoveries and new scientific methodologies in relation to climate change. The primary aim of the conference was to give an opening to developing science and its unpredictability. All the work reference was based on Africa, and this helps scientists to evaluate their work for future deliberations.

The National Consultative Conference on Climate Change was held from the 18th to the 20th of October 2005. This event was to check and advise on South Africa’s policies, strategies, and action plans. The conference program was developed in such a way that scientists and policymakers would be able to interact. One of the primary objectives of the conference was to ensure that scientists would answer any hindrance to the policy discussion due to claims of uncertainty. The other objective was to encourage climate change-inspired policies. The Deputy President opened the conference, attended by the Ministers of Environmental Affairs and Tourism; Agriculture and Land Affairs; Water Affairs and Forestry; Science and Technology; and Minerals and Energy. After this conference, the government of South Africa announced that there was a strong public demand to develop a national climate change response policy.

In March 2006, the government initiated a detailed scenario-building process and the participatory climate change policy development process. Around mid-2006, the cabinet launched the Long Term Mitigation Scenario (LTMS) process, which was mandated to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas. LTMS products were signed off in November 2007.  LTMS products were received well by most of the stakeholders, and these products were considered robust and strongly supported.

After a series of reports from LTMS, the department submitted a request to the cabinet for the approval of the draft plan for the proposed climate change policy development process in 2007. The cabinet approved the climate change policy development policy, time frames, and the themes of the policy. The themes of the policy included; a) GHG emission reduction, b)  strengthening current climate initiatives, c) implementing a business call for climate action, d) preparing for the future, e)population vulnerability and adaptation, and f) alignment, coordination, and cooperation.

In 2009 the government produced a document called the National Climate Change Response Policy, providing stakeholders with to date summary of climate science in South Africa.  On 17 May 2010, the government hosted a round table meeting in order to get an update on the response of stakeholders on the National Climate Change Response Policy and to provide a platform to respond and discuss. In June of the same year, the government held a green paper drafting retreat with the aim of putting together policy segments into a consolidated and logically structured policy known as the National Climate Change Response Green Paper.

The Green Paper was released in November 2010 for public comment. The government also spent several months engaging stakeholders in order to get inputs to inform and shape an upcoming policy. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism also held a lot of workshops with different themes such as mitigation, governance, adaptations, technology, and others. Together with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism conducted side-by-side engagements and presented the policy at different places through conferences, forums, or seminars. The public also had a public hearing with presentations, discussions, and debates on the policy for several weeks. All inputs were captured in a detailed comment-response database. More than 4,000 individual comments were considered and presented to the IGCCC in March 2011. In June 2011, all comments were compiled, and in July, the draft was revised. On the 12th of October 2011, the cabinet approved the National Climate Change Policy, published as White Paper in the Government Gazette.

After the implementation of the National Climate Change Policy, there was an increase in the public transport investments by the government, such as the Gautrain and the bus rapid transport (BRT). Also, the government was able to quantify carbon emissions from the energy sector.  The higher emission warned the South African energy sector to shift to renewable energy.  A Renewable Energy Independent Power Product Procurement Programme (REI4P) was launched, and it is attracting investments in renewable energy.

                       

  1. Cvitanovic, C., Hobday, A. J., van Kerkhoff, L., Wilson, S. K., Dobbs, K., & Marshall, N. A. (2015). Improving knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers to facilitate the adaptive governance of marine resources: A review of knowledge and research needs. . Ocean & Coastal Management, 112 August 2015, 25–35
  2. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (2005a). Bojanala, Daily Journal of the National Climate Change Conference, Monday 17 October 2005: Issue I. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  3. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (2005c). Media release: Background to the National Climate Change Conference, October 2005. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  4. Tyler, E., &Gunfaus, M. T. (2015). What was the contribution of the Long Term Mitigation Scenario process to South African climate mitigation policy? Cape Town: Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town.
  5. (2003). Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
  6. (2009). National Climate Change Response Policy: Discussion Document for the 2009 National Climate Change Response Policy development Summit. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  7. (2009). Towards an Effective South African Climate Change Response Policy, Conference Statement, 6 March 2009. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  8. (2010). National Climate Change Response – Green Paper. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  9. (2011). White Paper on the National Climate Change Response. Government Gazette No. 334695, Notice No. 757 of 19 October 2011. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  • Scenario Building Team. (2007). Long Term Mitigation Scenarios for South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  • Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (2004). A National Climate Change Response Strategy for South Africa.Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.
  • Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (2005b). Action for Climate Change, Conference Statement, 20 October 2005.Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs.

 

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard South Africa Country Manager Rugare Zhou.

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