Hon Speaker, I must say that I am taking part in this debate as a former chair of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, and as the person who led the process from the 15th Conference of Parties, COP 15, up to the eve of the 16th Conference of Parties, COP 16.
Speaker, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Sisi Edna, and all other Ministers present here, Members of Parliament, my colleagues from the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs - from both sides - hon Morgan and the rest, we rise to support the report on COP 16 and its recommendation. We do so, not as matter of rhetoric or the fashion trend of talking about climate change. We support this report because, as the ruling party, we have played a leading role in influencing global debates and deliberations on climate change and its related challenges since 1994.
I wish to remind members in the House that the resolution on climate change adopted by the ruling party at Polokwane in 2007 was a critical resolve urgently and effectively to address climate change in the form of government policy. With this resolution, the ANC-led government has now been enabled to articulate principles and action plans to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.
South Africa's astonishing leadership on global issues was witnessed during COP 15, which proved to be the most challenging United Nations conference on climate change, and which was held in Denmark in December 2009. Again at COP 16 a challenge arose when parties could not agree on whether the developing countries should have binding emissions reductions or rich countries would have to reduce emissions first. But, still, South Africa has taken the leadership baton to host the 17th Conference of Parties, COP 17, in the quest to fulfil the nonbinding Cancun Agreement of COP 16 in its entirety.
Despite the setbacks of nonbinding agreements, at least COP 16 produced five critical elements that could serve as a starting point and foundation for positive talks in Durban later this year. These elements are the Green Climate Fund, which is financing climate change projects; reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; increasing transparency through monitoring, reporting and verification; formalising the emissions reduction pledges made at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009; and creating a new adaptation framework to assist least developed countries to create national adaptation plans and climate change strategies.
Importantly, though, as the host country, South Africa must take cognisance that for COP 17 to be a success all parties of the conference must come with concrete strategies and time-framed plans to show how the global climate funds will be raised to realise the R100 billion per year in order to assist poorer countries in financing emissions reductions and adaptation.
COP 17 must also strive to plan for accountability, monitoring and sustainability, so that developing countries such as ours are enabled to implement the agreements on climate change effectively.
In these two instances, Recommendation 3 of the report becomes critical, where the Parliamentary Climate Change Forum will be expected to co- ordinate, synergise and manage parliamentary work on climate change.
In the words of the incoming COP President, Minister Maite Nkoana- Mashabane, she vows that: "Durban is clearly the end of the line for the postponement of key political issues". With the Brazil, India and China, Brics, community South Africa calls on the industrialised nations such as the United States and Western European countries to step up their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at COP 17. The establishment of a South African Globe International Chapter in the South African Parliament will help to bring the Brics parliamentarians together for an impactful, collective effort to strengthen legislative action on climate change going forward.
We support our ANC-led government when it says that there must be balanced and realistic negotiation when developing countries such as South Africa are required to shift their approach in addressing climate change towards building low-carbon cities. This is because convincing the least developed countries and other developing countries and their populations to shift towards building low-carbon societies will certainly not be an easy task. How do you justify a resolution that binds a poor country to not using more energy to develop their economy, when they know and have witnessed that already industrialised and developed countries are rich because of high emissions of pollution?
For instance, it is no coincidence to see that the developing countries' pollution emissions, such as those of South Africa, China, India, Indonesia and Brazil, have rocketed - we cannot eliminate poverty without increasing the use of energy. And then, how do you persuade a poor country and its population to pay for the reduction of carbon, when they know they still emit the least of the pollution?
The ANC-led government will make sure that it balances its mandate of delivering on our top five priorities of poverty reduction, creation of employment, quality education, access to health care, and safety and anticorruption measures, with that of addressing climate change.
Our communities must be shown that climate change, if not prioritised as well, could disturb the drive to eradicate poverty. One way of creating jobs in climate change projects is through renewable energy technologies. South Africa has an abundance of untapped renewable energies. This should be an industry that provides opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time create new jobs.
The other way of responding to climate change in our South African context is to explore, plan and implement concretely ways to assist our communities who rely on agriculture as a means of income and sustainability. Here we are specifically talking about the small-scale farmers, of whom most are poor women in the rural areas. The issues of climate change, poverty, environment and gender are intrinsically interwoven, and cannot be separated. As we are processing our national policy through the Department of Environmental Affairs, this ANC-led government is cognisant that women farmers are particularly affected by climate change, and that we have to continuously drive gender equality and decrease women's vulnerability in the agriculture sector.
University of Cape Town, UCT, scientific research has already predicted that South Africa will experience increasing temperatures and less rainfall. The Western Cape is set to lose 35% of its current winter rainfall. This means, then, that there will be more frequent occurrences of drought, flooding, hurricanes, forest fires, rising sea levels, and damage to agricultural systems, which will lead to famine and rises in diseases, as already seen during 2010, and especially recently in Japan. For instance, the world has already experienced severe weather-related events, such as the earthquake that I have just mentioned in Japan, severe drought in Somalia, mudslides in China and heat waves in Russia.
Climate change policy begins and ends with people. Therefore, visible advocacy on climate change matters must be strengthened to build a just and sustainable policy for South Africa.
We will always remind ourselves here that South African black townships and informal settlements in particular are the direct products of apartheid and the manifestation of urban desertification. These are the areas that offer the ultimate challenge in advocacy for greening the environment. We are encouraging Parliament to take to the streets of Khayelitsha, Soweto, Mitchells Plain, Mangaung, Umlazi and Mdantsane, etc, to mobilise our communities regarding an awareness campaign on climate change and against hazardous climatic disasters.
As Members of Parliament, we must rekindle the zealous and advocating spirit which was shown during the organisation of the Fifa World Cup in 2010. Particularly projects such as "One home, one garden" can go a long way. For instance, in my own Department of Police we have already embarked on a programme of "One police station, one garden". Linking greening with education, in particular with the school syllabus, to introduce our children to science and ecology, that is, food chains, adaptations and seasons, as well as mathematics, where we teach them about growth in terms of graphs, shapes and functions, is also fundamental.
Out of the experience of the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord in COP 15 and the mistrust between developing and developed countries at COP 16, South Africa is obligating all parties to discuss and deliberate positively, and in a collective spirit, for a successful climate change outcome in Durban.
It is fitting then, that South Africa as the host country has themed COP 17 "Working together: Saving tomorrow today". Parliament must indeed lobby all relevant stakeholders to work together and to promote a common position for the upcoming COP 17 in Durban.
Furthermore, African countries like Tanzania and Kenya have established parliamentary forums dedicated to addressing climate change. These forums are not comprised of Members of Parliament alone. They are multisectoral forums, which are composed of diverse people with skills and expertise in the management of climate change. Perhaps our Parliament needs seriously to consider this approach, as already recommended in our COP 15 report in this House.
As the Deputy Minister of Police I can also say that safety and security operational plans are in place and being executed by our joint operational and intelligence structures at the national and provincial levels in preparation for COP 17 in Durban.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has already established priority committees to co-ordinate and finalise the planning process of safety and security-related issues in terms of article 9(1) of the Host Country Agreement.
It should come as no surprise to sceptics that we have been given the honour of hosting the United Nations 17th Conference of the Parties, COP 17, from 28 November to 9 December 2011. It comes on the heels of a very successful hosting of the Fifa World Cup in 2010.
Speaker, I must say that as Members of Parliament, we need to go out there and sensitise people, and hold awareness campaigns about the issues of COP 17 and the importance of climate change. This is especially because it is being held here in Africa, and particularly in South Africa. It is too quiet for our liking - we are left with only three months before the hosting of COP 17 and we are not hearing much about what is being said outside there. What happened when we were about to host the soccer tournament in 2010 was that a year before then everybody, even children on the street, knew that we were about to host this big tournament. The same must happen with COP 17. It's a real honour for the country to be given the opportunity to host such a big event in our own country.
In conclusion I want to say, as all roads go to Durban on 29 November, that we as a country must strive and hope for a positive spirit and honest articulation of climate change, as the world seeks to negotiate for a globally agreed comprehensive deal on climate change. Thank you. [Applause.]
House Chair, hon Ministers, hon members, in less than three months over 15 000 delegates will arrive in Durban for the next edition of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, known as COP 17. We wait with anticipation to see if the Kyoto Protocol, first adopted in 1997, will survive the negotiations and, importantly, if a second commitment period will be agreed to. The burden of managing these highly complex negotiations now falls squarely on the shoulders of South Africa, which is president of the upcoming COP.
We need to examine what happened at COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico, last year and at COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009, to understand that prospects for extending the Kyoto Protocol in Durban are difficult. There were high hopes for a binding legal agreement and an extension of the Kyoto Protocol at Copenhagen. Instead, what emerged was a political agreement known as the Copenhagen Accord, which outlined various voluntary commitments by countries. South Africa, along with the other Basic countries and the USA, was integral to the formation of this accord. It is important to note that the accord is not legally binding and does not commit countries to a binding successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose present round ends in December 2012. The accord does, however, loosely endorse the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol.
Copenhagen ended in acrimony. Wen Jiabao of China said that the weak accord was due to mistrust between nations. Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom accused a small number of nations of holding the negotiations to ransom.
It is important to reaffirm why a binding global agreement on climate change is ultimately necessary. Because climate change will have consequences around the world, and because it is expected to have disproportionately high consequences for developing countries, whether they be decreased rainfall, rising average temperatures, or extreme events such as flooding and droughts, irrespective of the fact that developing countries are historically least responsible for the emissions of climate change-inducing greenhouse gases, climate change can be regarded as perhaps the largest example of the classic environmental problem known as "the tragedy of the commons".
A well-crafted agreement would allow countries to exploit the most efficient opportunities to cut emissions. But climate change is not just a challenge of the environment; it is a challenge for the world economy. In fact, the solutions can have profound effects on specific industries and foreign trade, and hence it affects jobs. Climate change negotiations are thus very much about domestic politics, at least for the developed countries that fall in Annex 1 of the Kyoto Protocol.
The reason the USA has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol is its domestic politics. President Obama used his political capital on health reform, and has more recently been burnt by the debt crisis. At the federal level the USA is unlikely to sign up to any binding emissions reductions, at least to the degree that it should, for some time to come.
It is worth affirming, though, that the transition to a lower carbon future will also create new industries, particularly in the fields of energy, transport and energy efficiency, and has the potential to be a major job creator. But how do we get to a low-carbon future? Determining how low, in terms of carbon, that future is, is what makes negotiations complex. Possible short-term economic shocks, increased costs of doing business in the interim, and further stresses for the consumer are of concern for negotiators from developing countries and the major emerging economies. Their terms of political office are far shorter than the time it will take to make a transition to a low-carbon future.
In Cancun last year ambitions and hopes for the negotiations were considerably more tempered. The future of the Kyoto Protocol was hardly addressed, although some countries, including Japan, were openly hostile towards its continuation. The political landmine of the Kyoto Protocol was sidestepped. Cancun did offer some light and that is that progress does not have to be all or nothing. It does not have to be a binding treaty or bust. Notwithstanding that, a binding agreement remains the desired outcome.
Cancun also codified emission reduction pledges made by approximately 80 countries in Copenhagen. What is interesting about the way that this happened is that the distinction between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries is somewhat blurred, which is a step in the right direction. Cancun also officially, in terms of the UN document, agreed that the average temperature rise needs to be kept below 2C.
The Copenhagen Accord at the Cancun negotiations essentially became part of what is known as the Long-term Co-operative Action track, LCA track. So, now there are only two tracks to the negotiations, the LCA track and the Kyoto Protocol track. If the Kyoto Protocol track had been more actively engaged upon in Cancun, then the negotiations may have ended in acrimony. Was Cancun a success? The outcomes will not satisfy everyone, but in general the fact that the negotiations are still alive is probably the greatest success. The US and China engaged with each other with civility. There were incremental steps in the right direction, and realism triumphed over idealism.
At COP 17 in Durban there will need to be progress on operational issues that came out of the Cancun negotiations, in particular on measures to set up the Green Climate Fund, as well as on measures to strengthen procedures related to measurement, reporting and verification practices.
But in Durban the issue of the Kyoto Protocol cannot be sidestepped as it was in Cancun. It will be difficult to engage on the Protocol with so many major emitters growing increasingly hostile to it. If there cannot be a binding agreement, then some kind of political agreement is what the South African Presidency of the COP needs to achieve. It may have to be that Kyoto is kept on life support to salvage its key elements, and that they then be built into a new response at future negotiations that bring the USA and major emerging economies on board.
Whatever happens in Durban, there is a greater realisation now that many of the most important initiatives for addressing climate change will occur outside of the UN process, despite how important that process is. Countries, states and cities around the world are taking action. Businesses have identified climate change both as a risk to and an opportunity for their operations, and are engaging with governments. So, while there may be despair in some quarters, there is also plenty of hope.
South Africa made various commitments in the Copenhagen Accord to reducing emissions against a business as usual trajectory. There has been a Green Paper on Climate Change this year, and in October the White Paper on Climate Change will be released. There has also been discussion on a Treasury proposal for a carbon tax.
No doubt South Africa wants to show, as the President of the upcoming negotiations, that it is prepared to play its part in securing a low-arbon future. South Africa is a bridge between the developed and developing world when it comes to these negotiations. Our commitments thus far are admirable.
However, we must be cautious that we do not take on voluntary commitments and the associated instruments that place us in a position that affects our efforts at economic growth and job creation. We must remember that it is the developed world that owes the rest of the world the greatest commitment to action.
South Africa must act, but we must also be cautious. The South African negotiating team is ultimately accountable to the South African public at large. Its mandate is not without limits, and it must be sure that what it argues for is possible, reasonable, and to the best of its ability, in our own national interest. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, members of the House, Cope welcomes this debate on the report arising from the parties' meeting in Cancun at the end of last year. We are in full agreement with the recommendations in the report that MPs have a critical and active role to play in averting climate change. The major issue today is whether we as legislators can devise policies and legislation which will ensure that as a country we do our bit to keep global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial nations.
As legislators, we should actively support the creation of a green climate fund as floods and drought ravage country after country. A large pool of funds will be necessary to deal with the disasters caused by climate change. There is still no certainty how the R100 billion per year by 2020 will be raised, but this is something that has to be fully settled in Durban.
The new policy that we as a Parliament evolve must give consideration to the international community's setting up a climate-risk insurance facility, so that there is support for any country that experiences the impacts of extreme weather as a result of climate change.
Climate change is no longer an academic question; it is now mainly an economic issue, an issue of such magnitude that it touches the very survival of people, as we can see in Somalia. There are major cost implications for countries as a result of the increasing number of droughts and floods. No country in the world is immune to the natural disasters resulting from climate change. We are all equally vulnerable and challenged.
It was agreed at Cancun that a technology executive committee should be established to oversee the transfer of clean energy technologies to the developing nations. Cope urges this House to invite this committee to come before the relevant committees of Parliament to share its knowledge and help our Parliament refine its policies. We need to secure the transfer of clean energy technologies because nothing else will be sustainable.
We also have an interest in seeing COP 17 succeeding. As with the World Cup, we should be setting the scene to get the whole nation solidly behind us. Regrettably, we have not done enough in this regard and we should therefore address this matter urgently.
The report before us raises the important question of whether developing countries should agree to emission reduction that is legally binding. Cope believes that the government should fully involve Parliament in determining to what extent South Africa will agree to bind itself to the reduction of gas emissions. As the Kyoto Protocol will be collapsing soon, the world may not have an instrument to enforce global compliance with regard to carbon emission. COP 17 therefore comes at a critical juncture.
Now that South Africa has the opportunity to host COP 17 in Durban this year, we have a major opportunity to represent the plight of the developing nations, which are the worst affected. We certainly need to get the whole continent behind us, because many African countries, which are responsible for minimal emissions, will unfortunately be major casualties of global warming. Keeping this in mind, we have a tough task ahead of us to secure a legally binding agreement and to address pressing climate issues on the basis of a binding agreement. If we can speak as a continent, united in our concerns about climate change, we will be able to achieve better results.
While it is unlikely that developed nations will commit to reducing carbon emissions further, it is of the utmost importance that we nevertheless push for a firm deadline regarding a legally binding treaty on emission reductions.
Cope supports the establishment of a South African Globe International chapter in Parliament. Globe International will supply Parliament with crucial information on environmental matters. Furthermore, it will provide Members of Parliament with official non-negotiation status at COP 17 meetings. Thank you. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, global warming and climate change are a fact and upon us. Global temperatures are expected to increase by between 1,8C and 4C by the year 2100. This, we are advised, will cause both rapid and profound changes in our global climate if measures are not immediately implemented to reduce and eliminate the causes thereof.
It is within this context that the UN Climate Change Conference and Conference of the Parties were established for the global community to unite to take cognisance of this and to work together towards a solution in respect of global warming and climate change.
COP 16 sought to draw a line in the sand and, in fact, gave the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change an ultimatum that unless immediate effective and co-ordinated action was taken against climate change, the world, its people, its ecosystems and, in fact, all life upon earth would face irreversible and irreparable harm.
COP 16 realised the need for a co-ordinated, global, political and policy- driven approach in order to address these problems effectively, and this was one of its main priorities. Delegates from 196 member countries were joined by private companies, NGOs and other interested stakeholders in finding a realisable solution to global warming.
From a South African perspective, we as the IFP wish to see a firm resolve from government in this regard, by way of an unwavering commitment to the reduction of carbon emissions, the adoption of and transition towards a green and sustainable energy future, and the development of full implementation of the green economy strategy.
In conclusion, we understand that the challenges facing such a transition to a greener energy future are many and varied, but these must be confronted and overcome if we are to leave a habitable and sustainably resourced planet to future generations. Thank you.
Somlomo obekekileyo, Malungu ePhalamente kunye nabasemzini ... [Hon Speaker, Members of Parliament and visitors ...]
... as we approach the African Conference of the Parties, COP, otherwise known as the 17th Conference of the Parties, COP 17, let me share what I deem to be the expected leadership role of Parliament on climate change. It is a national duty, which is even captured in its current theme: "Parliament as a champion for action on climate change".
The road map from Copenhagen through Cancun to eThekwini is full of memories worth sharing, especially the turnaround from Copenhagen to Cancun, thanks to the good work by the Mexican government. Prospects of success in COP 17 are supposed to be buttressed by our Parliament as well.
Undoubtedly the framework for Parliament's contributions derives mainly from the ANC, which has played a leading role in shaping global debates on environmental justice, including in our participation in the Rio Earth Summit, followed by South Africa's hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.
Whilst there may have been limited success in Cancun, let me be quick to caution that entrenched economic interests are strong enough to limit the breakthrough we so much yearn for. As an analogy, let me take the global trade negotiations, whose prospects are threatened by the looming demise of the Doha Round. Once again entrenched economic interests have taken precedence and ascendancy, which compels me to make a clarion call that we need to avoid a repeat of such in the climate change negotiations.
COP 15 was supposed to adopt a new international agreement to replace certain aspects of the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012, but that was unsuccessful.
What lessons can we draw from the historical paradigm shift that took place in Cancun? A lot of persuasive exercises were central to the preparations by the Mexican government during its presidency. Beyond the plethora of consultations driven by the Mexican government, the Mexican parliament also played a crucial role in building consensus, which eventuated in the Cancun Agreement.
Our South African parliamentary delegation was also involved in attending the various meetings, such as the Globe Climate Change Legislators' Forum, and the joint session between the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, and the Mexican Parliament on the role of parliamentarians in climate change, which was another landmark in advancing the much needed consensus-building efforts. It was evident from the discussions that Members of Parliament, MPs, have a critical role to play in averting climate change.
What then do we expect from Parliament? Whilst appearing as nascent in character, events highlight the leadership role parliaments have to play in the efforts to address climate change, and such leadership goes beyond merely preparing for events.
Ratification of international instruments, including any agreements emanating from climate change negotiations, is done by parliaments. The dilemma is that parliaments have to ratify instruments to which they have neither had input, albeit remote, nor been adequately exposed in regard to the intricacies of such negotiations. This is a sore point that needs intensive interrogation and debate - how and why parliaments ratify instruments they hardly have any input on.
Oversight is undoubtedly another role that has to be aptly articulated. Reference has been made to one of the resolutions of the Pan-African Parliament, which recommended in 2010 that African parliaments, in consultation with the civil societies in each country, be afforded opportunities to influence budgets on integrating issues regarding climate change. Such oversight should also extend to monitoring the utilisation of funds from the Green Climate Fund.
Facilitation of public participation, especially through constituency work, as well as engaging in various international activities related to climate change, will go a long way towards providing the expected leadership. If a sizeable number of parliaments can integrate climate change issues into committee programmes, the impact of their contribution on climate change will definitely be felt.
As a strategic approach, there is a need to save climate change negotiations, so that they do not to slide towards their demise, like the Doha Round. Hon members, eThekwini should not be the graveyard of the Kyoto Protocol. This means that we have a duty and responsibility to mobilise all our allies and networks locally, continentally and globally, as requested by the African Group of Negotiators, to achieve this goal.
Focus on the second commitment on the Kyoto Protocol is essential and needs a display of the broadest support, both locally and globally. Parliaments can also play a crucial role in this regard. Internally, within Parliament, the parliamentary programme on climate change must be driven intensively, with the passion it deserves, together with the requisite political management by parliamentarians, and co-operation and co-ordination of the programme's activities with staff.
As we may all agree, development has, inter alia, to be anchored in sustainability, and therefore we are also obliged to integrate climate change issues with the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. Achievement of the MDGs by 2014 and the hosting of COP 17 later this year are amongst the key major events on this Parliament's calendar.
One of the five priority areas identified in the ANC 2009 election manifesto is the "creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods". The ANC is committed to action leading to the meeting of 2014 MDG targets, that is, developing and investing in programmes to create large numbers of green jobs.
What about progress towards COP 17? There is a very clear intention that, from now onwards, we will be greening Parliament. And, please, watch this space - that is definitely going to take place!
Furthermore, there are four core pillars in Parliament's programme on climate change. The first is enhanced oversight, including the need to assess and monitor negotiations and facilitate public participation.
This is followed by the promotion of a campaign on climate change, as well as promotion of South Africa's position and particularly the African common position on this. The promotion of the common position of Africa is fundamental, because thus far we have managed to a great extent to integrate our national interests with those of the continent.
The next core pillar is constituency work focusing on climate change, as well as tool kits currently developed for MPs.
I would like to share with members that towards the end of October we will be hosting a national consultative forum with different sectors involved in climate change, with the aim of striving for broad consensus amongst various stakeholders, as well as of promoting the African common position.
There will be a multiparty delegation of MPs attending the African COP, as well as the regular IPU meeting cohosted by our Parliament. At this meeting a resolution containing the position of parliaments globally on the expected outcomes of COP 17 will be adopted.
In conclusion, it is evident that there are expectations that Parliament should provide leadership as part of the leadership collective effort by the state, leadership that goes beyond what Mexico achieved, whether expressed through the voices of the ordinary people, the media, the various sectors of society or Parliament itself.
Our noble efforts on climate change offer a lifetime opportunity for humanity to introduce paradigm shifts in development generally, through addressing challenges on climate change. I say this because climate change is, inter alia, a symptom of a larger phenomenon, distortions of production and consumption, particularly by developed countries. Should we change these distortions fundamentally, there is definitely a more than bright future for us.
Provision of leadership, as a legislature institutionally, and as public representatives individually, must be a dream cherished by all of us, irrespective of political affiliation. I therefore say that leading by example - promoting a Parliament which is a champion for action on climate change - must also be a dream come true in the not so distant future. The journey from COP 1 to African COP is loaded with both inspiration and challenges regarding what leadership parliaments should provide in conjunction with other components of the state.
Maz' enethole, uKhongolose uyayixhasa le ngxelo ye-COP 16. [Thank you, the ANC supports this report of COP 16.]
I thank you for your attention. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, the meeting that took place in Cancun over December last year was a continuation of the international climate change negotiations that have been going for over 15 years. During this period emissions in the world have actually increased, as the planet moves perilously closer to a 2 warmer world, the point at which scientists predict the climate will become dangerously destabilised.
Already we are starting to see the devastating effects of a warmer world, with natural disasters affecting the livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. It is therefore imperative that the international community finally finds the moral courage to face up to this challenge of our generation. And it is moral courage that is required, because at its heart climate change represents a massive global injustice in which the poor are being made to suffer because of the excesses of the rich.
Instead of their rising to this challenge, all I have seen at each of the COPs that I have attended is more sophisticated negotiating tactics being employed by powerful countries and interests, who are intent on evading their responsibilities. Our negotiators have done a sterling job at fighting these tactics, but unfortunately we seem to have spent all of our time on simply preventing the process from going backwards, rather than being able to push it to any kind of a progressive outcome.
After the failure of Copenhagen, the Cancun meeting was seen as a muted success. But let us be under no illusion - with the current state of negotiations, we are heading for a 3 to 4 warmer world and all the devastation that that will bring. These negotiations are also seriously eroding trust in the multilateral process, as some countries are going back on the agreement that was made in terms of the Bali Road Map in 2007.
I believe that the time has now come to draw a line in the sand. Progressive countries in both the industrialised and developing worlds need to unite and craft an agreement that is not held to ransom by lowest common denominator negotiations. We need to reach sufficient consensus on actions that are tangibly going to prevent the dangerous destabilisation of the world's climate. Those countries who do not wish to become part of the so- called "coalition of the willing" need to move out of the way and be exposed for their actions. The costs of not becoming part of this progressive coalition also need to be increased in various ways so as to pressure them into joining at a later stage.
As the hosts of an African COP, we need to ensure that COP 17 in Durban finally delivers a modicum of justice for Africa, which will continue to suffer the worst effects of a warmer world. Let us do all in our power to break this deadly global stalemate in the negotiations and restore moral courage to the world. I thank you.
Chair, this report sets the stage for COP 17, bringing climate change issues closer to home. In a meeting of the Basic countries, of which South Africa is a member, the Ministers, including ours, called for a transparent and inclusive preparatory process in order to ensure that Durban takes a major step forward in working towards a comprehensive, ambitious, fair and effective outcome. Yet, in South Africa, the run-up to COP 17 has been marked by a process that is less than transparent and shows a lack of genuine commitment to climate mitigation. Let me explain.
Stakeholders agree that mitigation will best be served by a strong renewable energy agenda. Yet, after two years of an inclusive process endorsed by all parties aimed at speeding up the uptake of renewable energy through the adoption of the Renewable Feed-in Tariff, Refit, the Minister of Energy has ditched that entire process for a tender on price, the complete opposite of a tariff. The Refit has proved itself around the world as the most transparent and inclusive way to stimulate a changeover to renewable energy, in order to create jobs and foster investment. Tenders by contrast, particularly in South Africa, have shown themselves to be subject to corruption, false pricing, delays, and anything but transparency and certainty for investors.
This about-turn follows thousands of hours of hearings by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, Nersa, and government, and thousands of written pages of submissions based on the regulations for Refit introduced by the Minister of Energy. The Minister's decision to reverse the way in which the country mitigates climate change makes a mockery of democratic processes. Why do we consult? Where is due process?
The ACDP is concerned that climate change negotiations in Durban will be little more than political posturing to get money into coffers. The danger of short-term and individual interests being placed above those of future generations is real and will inhibit the long-term interests of our country and the planet.
Government's failure to observe the democratic process and their decision to experiment with yet another process in working with independent power producers could also result in a series of legal challenges. Our country and our children deserve better. Thank you.
Hon Chairperson, it is undoubtedly unarguable that global warming and climate change are two of the greatest challenges of our time. Whilst we continue to intensify the campaign and to build carbon-free cities, it is of vital importance that the Greening the Nation programme implementation be crucial to all provinces. Whilst it addresses the issues of job opportunities and poverty alleviation, it equally plays a crucial role in protecting our environment.
South Africa can be proud of the fact that we are playing a very important role in protecting our environment. However, we still have to deal with polluting the atmosphere with our coal and it is absolutely imperative to look for alternatives.
Durban is going to be the venue for the international conference, and hopefully the conference will bring about changes for the betterment of eThekwini and Africa as a whole.
It is very important that the world takes a very strong stand against the unpredictable weather. The recent cold spell and the possible melting of glaciers are going to have a very serious effect, not only on the world's climate, but on the world economy, where they are going to create turbulence and disturbances throughout the world, and emerging countries like South Africa will suffer tremendously.
Therefore the MF urges South Africa to provide effective, strong and great leadership, so that nature here and the natural environment as a whole can be protected. Let's look to the future. Stop, think, and go green. Thank you.
Hon Chairperson, firstly, on behalf of the ANC, we are delighted to realise that this House speaks with one voice in so far as climate change is concerned.
On 26 May 2011, the ANC requested me to participate in the debate on Budget Vote No 29 on Energy for the 2011-12 financial year. My focus was on climate change, COP 17 and the green economy.
In order for people to understand what climate change is, I described it as a phenomenon that takes place when carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, forming a blanket around the earth and altering the climate. It alters the normal functioning of the earth's systems, for example by causing shifts in rainfall, as well as in the amounts of rain that fall. Instead of rain falling throughout summer, climate change could cause the entire amount of rain that falls in a season to fall in just one month, causing flooding and eventually droughts in the same area, as that rain does not spread out.
I further explained that these floods and droughts affect poor people negatively, as they have no resources to adapt to the impacts. The consequences of this, if not attended to, can lead to very serious challenges, such as diminished natural resources; reduced agricultural production, thereby worsening food security; increased flooding and droughts, thereby spreading various diseases; and increased risk of conflict over scarce land and water resources. This is the understanding of climate change and its negative impacts on society.
I went further, giving a summary of the history of discussions on this matter dating back to 1979, when a scientific gathering called on the world's governments to foresee and prevent a potential manmade change in climate that might be adverse to the wellbeing of humanity. This led to processes, which led to a framework, as has been mentioned by the speakers before me. Subsequently conventions which are being followed to date have mitigated greenhouse gases and adapted to conditions of energy efficiency and green climate.
South Africa, as a country with a high greenhouse gas emissions profile, took the necessary measures with the aim of addressing both mitigation and adaptation. These included, among others, the release of the Climate Change Response Strategy for South Africa in 2004; a mitigation scenario study and its release in 2008; hosting a Climate Change Response Policy conference for South Africa in March 2009; convening the Green Economy Summit in May 2010; the release of the National Climate Change Response Green Paper in 2010; and public hearings by the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs here in Parliament in March 2011. We are also looking forward to hosting COP 17 in December 2011.
What should be very clear, though, is that hosting COP 17 is not going to do away with the challenges resulting from climate change. There are many areas that both government and communities should adapt to and include in our way of life. These include, among others, renewable energies, green buildings, clean transportation, water management and land management, to name but a few.
The ANC welcomes Parliament's approach to climate change, which includes reducing the carbon footprint within Parliament and the residential villages; recycling; greening; energy-saving mechanisms; paperless committees, plenaries and meetings; and the increased use of ICT.
I wish to mention that the public awareness campaign cannot be overemphasised. It is my view that this campaign should take the form of the campaigns against apartheid and HIV/Aids. These two campaigns have been very effective in South Africa.
In conclusion, the world is coming to South Africa, and we have the responsibility to: maintain the integrity of the multilateral process; operationalise the Cancun institutions; determine the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol and a comparable emissions reduction regime for non-Kyoto parties; afford a central place to adaptation; and focus on finance discussions, particularly of the Green Climate Fund.
It would be proper to mention that I sat there and listened very carefully to the debate, with the thought that we were going to do what we normally do. I was not surprised, and more than delighted that we did something different. The difference was that we all spoke with one voice. We were all saying: "Away with global warming!" And the way to do it is to find a legally binding agreement. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Mr Chairperson, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.