Sihlalo obekekileyo, Malungu ePalamente, ... [Hon Chairperson, Members of Parliament ...]
I greet you in support of the Report of National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change held from 28 to 29 October 2010, which is currently being tabled in this House.
As the background to my debate, let me highlight quite clearly that the response to climate change is developmental, that is, it transcends all aspects and sectors of development we have known hitherto. It is a phenomenon that has triggered political divisiveness due to entrenched interests globally. It is also quite a complex matter, as witnessed in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, negotiations throughout the Conference of Parties, Cop, and the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, CMP, processes.
Last month, Parliament convened a seminar with the key aim to mould, as much as possible, a national consensus among key stakeholders in preparation for the African Cop, commonly known as Cop 17. The rationale for convening such a seminar is found in the historical and constitutional duty of this Parliament to provide leadership collectively with other components of the state; to conduct oversight of the executive; to facilitate public involvement, especially discourse, and to engage with international issues.
Let's remember that Parliament has to ratify agreements emanating from various negotiations, which will take place at Cop 17 and future Cop activities; process climate change-related laws; engage international activities, especially with other parliaments and global bodies; and facilitate public involvement as evidence in the seminar. The conscious decision by this Parliament to be one of the champions and agents for change in responding to climate change is one of its noblest endeavours.
The outcome of the seminar is captured in the declaration as well as the resolutions arising from it. Let me share the highlights of the declarations as follows.
The seminar reaffirmed the commitment of the various stakeholders to work in partnership. Particular reference is made to civil society organisations, business, organised labour, traditional leaders, religious groupings and the government, and all that is aimed at seeking long-term, sustainable solutions to global threats to the environment. The delegates at the seminar thanked Parliament for the opportunity to interact with it as well as with one another and call for this to become an annual institution. Chair, I thought we would clap hands for this. At least, we are being thanked. [Applause.]
The participants reiterated their commitment to assist our government in implementing existing as well as future agreements on climate change. There was a request that a post-Cop evaluation meeting be held early next year. The fact that there was a seminar also reinforced that it should become an annual event. A strong call for broad awareness campaigns was made and for parliamentarians to use their constituency offices due to the general lack of understanding regarding issues of climate change as well as coping strategies. It's a known fact that people do not always know of the assistance that is available.
A call was made for parliaments to continue doing all they can to ensure that the adoption and implementation of climate change policies and legislation become a reality. It was noted that, in Africa, especially in South Africa, extreme and unpredictable climate change variability has become a reality and therefore there was a need to bring all these challenges into our planning.
Local government was also expected to clarify its role and bring climate change issues into their planning. Because women are the group that has been hardest hit, gender mainstreaming was also highlighted. There was a call for the effective monitoring of industries with regard to pollution and degradation, with an emphasis on an industry's need to assume responsibility in this regard.
The seminar also resolved to continue fostering a common understanding of the threat of climate change and of the actions needed to avert dangerous human interference in the climate system. Above all, participants emphasised that we should not wait for collective action at other levels but that everyone who participated in the seminar should become involved and become an activist in the area of climate change.
Beyond that, a number of things were also raised as being on our road map towards the African Cop. These were, among others, that the seminar emphasised the need for Cop 17 and CMP 7 to achieve a comprehensive and balanced outcome. It was expected that the parties would continue to work within the framework that was agreed upon in Bali as well as continue with the work programme that arose out of Cancun.
It was stated emphatically that a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol was central to a comprehensive and balanced outcome in Durban. The need to seek consensus and co-operation among the players at global level, and especially in Africa, was also highlighted. The seminar also reaffirmed the urgent need to support developing countries in their adaptation efforts, particularly the poorer and least developed countries of Africa. The transfer of technology between countries, and the use of this technology to reduce emissions as well as to adapt to a changing world, was also pointed out.
The mobilisation of resources crucial to dealing with climate change, the requisite governance issues, and institutional arrangements for accessibility to climate funds were among the issues raised. Linked to this, the need to create direct access protocols to access funds was emphasised.
A few resolutions were taken as well. Firstly, the collaborative leadership on issues of climate change in South Africa should be a continuous process. Secondly, the public hearings that are currently being held here, in Parliament, on the National Climate Change Response White Paper should be used as a means to move toward climate change legislation. Thirdly, South Africa, as the Cop presidency for Cop 17, was expected to uphold such principles as multilateralism, transparency and the inclusion of nongovernmental actors, which are central to the overall success and legitimacy of Cop 17. Fourthly, emphasis on technology sharing rather than technology transfer was also highlighted. Fifthly, with regard to climate change and finances, it was felt that it was critical in the run-up to Cop 17 that stakeholders engaged their constituencies and partners, both domestically and internationally, on the need for a formal assessment of resources and their scaling-up. Lastly, the green economy, among other things, was emphasised in relation to the fact that it must include all sectors of society, particularly women, for climate justice was equal to social justice.
Let me highlight that the ANC, as articulated at this seminar, is also committed to escalating our national efforts towards the realisation of a greater contribution towards renewable energy resources - including solar and wind power - as part of an ambitious renewable energy target.
The declaration clearly articulates a case for a consolidated consensus at national level, given the abundant evidence of convergence among the various stakeholders on keys issues. This Parliament must recognise and acknowledge that, through this seminar, evidence was clear that consensus among various sectors in the SA society - albeit divergent at times - was quite strong.
The significance of the declaration and the resolutions linked to it resonate with those of our government. While we acknowledged the role and participation of government at the seminar through the presence of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation and the Department of Water Affairs, it is also appropriate to qualify that the seminar recognised the unique position of the government, which acting as the president of Cop 17 and playing a facilitative role. Furthermore, the seminar allowed for the expression of differing views, which was witnessed when some participants were very assertive about the need for there to be no compromise in fighting for a second commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, in the demand for broadened social ownership of industries arising out of new technologies, and in government's role and contribution with regard to gender mainstreaming in our climate change response.
Of course, the confidence generated by the seminar must give us hope that we shall engage with the business sector on issues such as carbon budgeting and carbon tax in a productive manner. Another lesson that we learned is the political implications of the intention to expose the unwillingness of government to use fossil-based energy - which, of course, is not true. I would like to highlight that the right to express differing opinions independently will always be upheld in any case.
This seminar also highlighted that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for humanity to redeem itself of the man-made ravages caused by materialistic values, particularly when we see patterns of production differing so markedly from patterns of consumption. We consume more than we produce.
In conclusion, the Polokwane resolutions on climate change also committed to building partnerships between state institutions, businesses, trade unions, civil society and communities to address these challenges - and that's exactly what happened in the seminar.
Let me express my gratitude to all the participants and all the organisers who worked tirelessly throughout and ensured that this seminar was a resounding success. The ANC supports the Report of National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change held on 28 and 29 October 2011. I thank you for your attention. [Applause.]
House Chair, hon members, the response to climate change, whether it be in the UN negotiating process or in the domestic response as articulated in the White Paper, is exceptionally complicated and this should be acknowledged. I rise to support the Report of National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change, as well as the resolutions. They encapsulate the discussion and debate of this particular seminar, held three weeks ago.
Climate change is not some kind of caravan road show that comes and goes. Whatever happens at Cop 17, when the 20 000 visitors leave our shores on 10 December 2011, we, as a country, will be faced with doing our fair share to mitigate and adapt to climate change. That is the real test for South Africa.
As the hon De Lange, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, recently noted, we have to change the very DNA of South Africa. We all accept that we do not have much time to perform this life-saving operation. But few people, I believe, actually realise how hard it is going to be to pull this off and understand the extent of the contestation for carbon space that is going to ensue.
It is fair to say that there is general agreement on the negotiating positions of the South African negotiating team at Cop 17. On behalf of the DA, I wish team South Africa well during these negotiations. They are well prepared and will try their very best to get a fair, credible and balanced deal. But I am realistic that the actual outcomes of Cop 17 cannot be a measurement of success for our negotiators. The outcomes of Cop 17 will be the product of many governments coming together, each with their own interests and unique domestic politics. The world must take collective responsibility for the outcome.
When the dust settles on Cop 17, we, as a country, will have to start delivering on the proposed outcomes of the White Paper and many of the resolutions that were discussed at the consultative seminar. Government will have to make good on the promises of the Green Economy Accord, which was signed earlier today. Otherwise, that accord will be viewed as a green- washing exercise, cleverly timed a week before the arrival of our Cop visitors to present the veneer that we are a country with a plan to transition to a low-carbon economy.
The White Paper is an excellent policy statement. It is, however, the beginning of a process and not an end in itself. Upon preparation for implementation of these new proposals - many of which were discussed at the consultative forum, excluding the flagship projects that are already under way - this country will see just how tough it is to challenge our so-called