House Chair, the White Paper on climate change, formally published on 19 October 2011, has so far proven to be one step in the right direction. When the process of consultation and recommendations come to an end, we will hopefully have a solid legal framework to implement.
Cope supports the need to voice the concerns of Africa and to ensure that we leave Cop 17 with a legally binding agreement on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. We are looking forward to a transparent multilateral process with excellent communication between all stakeholders.
We have to do our best to ensure that the unresolved issues discussed at the previous Cops are raised again at Cop 17, with great earnestness. By this time, we are confident that we have a good strategy and are all fully prepared for the negotiations that will take place in Durban.
The need to protect and articulate South Africa's national interest in the midst of the heated discussions is of the utmost importance. For this, we will be depending on the Minister of International Relations.
It is important to remind ourselves that despite the commitment to funding by the developed countries, Africa needs to develop self-reliance to safeguard and maximise the potential and the available technical, financial and human resources that could be at our disposal. We have to be sustainable in the way we move forward as Africans.
Most importantly, the after-effects of Cop 17 will stretch far beyond December 2011. The successful implementation of our climate change strategy starts with us as Members of Parliament. I think the hon Morgan has actually alluded to this. I think we need to start in Parliament. We spoke about the greening of our Parliament last year. I am not sure how far we are with that project. When one leaves this Parliament late at night, one finds that lights are on in many offices, and looking at the carbon that we actually emit in respect of the paper that we use in this Parliament, we are really not living up to what we are saying. Let us practice what we preach.
We will be exposed to a hub of new and interesting information. The majority of South Africans living in the rural and urban areas will not have access to this knowledge. It is our responsibility to take this information to the people - to our constituencies - and to further educate all South Africans on climate change.
Businesses, civil society and government all have to work together to successfully implement South Africa's vision for a greener future. Backing from businesses and required co-operation between the business sector and the state has to continue. Adaptation and mitigation need to be dealt with together, and this is most vital at local government level. Furthermore, communities need to have a sustainable and custom-made response on how to deal with the effects of climate change locally.
The changing environment presents job opportunities, which we must utilise. There must be beneficiation of our own resources, coupled with local manufacturing industries and skills development. More importantly, greater investment in research and development is required in the area of climate change. This must be an ongoing and ever-present process in order for future generations to benefit from such critical data.
Finally, I want to reiterate the important role that women play in fighting the effects of climate change. When you educate a woman, you educate the nation. Cope supports the Report.
Hon Chair, the 17th Conference of Parties, to be held shortly in KwaZulu-Natal, marks a watershed moment not only for South Africa, as it assumes a global guardianship role in the realm of climate change, but also for the conference itself, for it will play a defining role in the kind of world our future generations will inherit.
The recent National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change sought to bring together stakeholders and define the current South African position in respect of climate change and how we propose to address the same. It identified key challenges, opportunities and threats and heard presentations by various stakeholders on possible ways forward for South Africa as we seek to play our role in the mitigation of global climate change and adaptation to clean and renewable energy sources.
The signing of the Green Economy Accord this very morning by the Minister of Economic Development is a very welcome step in this regard. It provides a clear signal of South Africa's commitment to building a green economy based on renewable energy.
The issue of climate change, although not one of exact scientific certainty, is nevertheless a very possible future reality and one that South Africa and the rest of the world would be very wise to heed. To err on the side of caution, is apt in this instance and the Inkatha Freedom Party fully supports all efforts aimed at the mitigation of climate change and adaptation to green renewable sources of energy.
We also take this opportunity to wish the Minister of International Relations and her department great success with what we feel will be the most important Conference of Parties to date.
I thank you.
Hon Chairperson, the National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change was a welcome initiative convened by this Parliament to discuss the vexing issues facing both the world and South Africa in tackling what has often been described as the greatest challenge facing our generation.
On an international level it is clear that we are far away from finding a global deal that can avert the disastrous outcome of a world that is. On two degrees warmer a domestic level I believe that we have instituted a comprehensive approach to give life to the commitments that we have made at the Copenhagen Summit. Let us have no illusions, though, for meeting these commitments is not going to be easy and all sectors of society will have to take some difficult actions, which could well impose pain on our economy. If we do not pay attention to the sequencing of actions, we could also end up with unintended consequences, such as the tragically ironic closure of solar water heater manufacturers that greeted us last week.
It is evident to me, however, that Parliament is very good at consulting but it is not very good at showing leadership. I say this as a member of the subcommittee to green Parliament. This has been a frustrating position to be in and despite the fact that I have given a detailed proposal in June, we still have not seen even preliminary work being done on this one week before the Conference of Parties, Cop, is due to be held. Shockingly, we are still handing out bottled water at committees despite banners proclaiming the greening of Parliament.
I therefore want Parliament to commit to taking this issue seriously and giving the assurance that a comprehensive greening programme will be run - even if it is only once the media dust has settled on the Durban Cop. The public deserves to see leadership from this institution and we must show sustained political will and commit actual resources to turning this institution into a leader of walking the talk around climate change. [Applause.]
Thank you, Chairperson.
I think he timed you very well, hon Chief Whip. He timed you very well.
Mohl Modulasetulo, a re lot?heng. [Hon Chairperson, greetings.]
Unless we alter our behaviour as global citizens, the significant changes in weather patterns, popularly known as climate changes, which have caused havoc in different parts of the world, are here to stay. As a matter of fact, failure to change course will only result in the situation taking a turn for the worse.
Annual conferences on climate change have taken place over the years but there are insufficient practical solutions to show for them. We read about how developed countries and developing countries are failing to reach consensus on a number of important issues that would help us recover some lost ground in the fight against climate change. We seem to be fiddling while Rome is burning.
As the host nation, South Africa has an important role to play in ensuring that it pushes for the immediate implementation of resolutions taken at the Durban conference in particular. South Africa has an opportunity to lead by example in the Southern African Development Community, SADC, region as a starting point and on the African continent as a whole as far as meeting its mitigation commitments and the general fight against climate change are concerned. Re a leboga. [Thank you.]
Chair, the first national parliamentary seminar on climate change held on 28 and 29 October 2011 provided space for the engagement of various stakeholders. Over those two days there was much talk about the form and content of the outcome for the 17th Conference of Parties, Cop 17, focusing specifically on: maintaining the integrity of the multilateral process; operationalising institutions agreed to in Cancun; obtaining a second commitment period under the Kyoto protocol; and placing adaptation at the centre of the Green Climate Fund. The question is: How does one balance these four issues to ensure a fair and equitable outcome taking into account the conditions of developed and developing countries?
In the build-up to Cop 17-, to be held in Durban, South Africa - a number of meetings were held. The contestation of agreements regarding the above demonstrated the rigidity of positions held by nation states, reflecting national interests being pitched against the collective good of the environment. If this is the case, then how does one apply Article 3.1 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, which talks of common but differentiated responsibilities within the contested terrain of climate change and, most especially, in relation to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the setting of targets to undertake this in the future?
In contrast, the terminology underpinning the climate change discourse in developing countries has ranged from food security; poverty alleviation; climate risk management in relation to adaptation; mitigation; capacity- building; and transparent financing to technology development and transfer.
The negotiators and the heads of state at Cop 17 and CMP 7 have the difficult task of balancing and retaining the principles of multilateralism while, in contrast, reducing or eliminating the existential struggles of millions of people in the developing countries, which will be further exacerbated by the potential ravages of climate change.
The impact of climate change, at a political level, is arguably the most difficult political problem the world has ever had to face. It is the only global crises to date for which grave consequences are predicted to occur on a planetary scale. The crisis is expected to impact adversely on the security and wellbeing of all human populations.
The policy solutions required to address this crisis have highly divisive consequences. The necessary policy solutions are divisive and, with a scientifically based approach, require radical policy changes at national level. This will require from nation states a fundamental transformation of modern societies to low-carbon development based on new energy production and consumption. This becomes problematic because the resulting process of transformation is perceived as highly inequitable. For instance, while large developing countries, such as the United States, are primarily responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions that currently exist in the atmosphere, it is small developing countries that will be affected by impending climate change. Large developing countries such as China and India, though not yet responsible for the largest share of emissions in the atmosphere, will also be required to drastically reduce their future emissions in order to avoid the direct predicted consequences of climate change. This is particularly controversial as high per capita growth domestic product, GDP, is strongly correlated with high per capita emissions.
No large country has ever experienced sustainable economic growth without increasing its greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. The objection of emergent emitters, such as China and India, is that their scientifically recommended climate change policies will inhibit their continued economic development.
As the hon President Zuma said in his 2011 state of the nation address:
As South Africa we look forward to successfully hosting Cop 17 through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December in Durban, where world nations will meet and build consensus on a sustainable model of development that will leave a world worth living in to future generations.
The global problem of climate change requires a worldwide response. Moving toward Cop 17, there is a degree of global co-operation but we have to be realistic. A future co-ordinated and consented response is not on the immediate horizon. Governments are unlikely to reach consensus on an equitable burden of shared responsibility for emission reduction or on an international carbon price in the near future. Therefore it is important for domestic agendas to proactively engage its citizenry on the need to change from high carbon usage to low carbon development.
The South African government, led by the ANC, in its response to the greenhouse gas emissions issue at a global level, has moved forward to advance responsibility as reflected in the 2007 long-term mitigation scenarios and, most recently, in the Green and White Paper processes. Its balanced approach to adaptation mitigation, emission reduction, impact on sectors, carbon tax and technology transfer - as per the principles contained in the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol - provides a useful framework for the debates on commitment from nation states at Cop 17.
When debates arise about further emission cuts, there is always a counterargument that the national economic interest of a particular nation state should always be factored in with broader global interests. During the 2009 Copenhagen climate change negotiations, South Africa voluntarily announced that it would act to reduce domestic GHG emissions by 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025 below the "Business as Usual" baseline, subject to the availability of adequate financial, technological and other support.
Between 2005 to date, South Africa has concentrated on working on national efforts to address the future impacts of climate change. This culminated in the National Climate Change Response White Paper 2011. If one looks at the national interest, then one needs to focus on South Africa's advancement to assist with the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
South Africa's position, outlined in the National Climate Change Response White Paper 2011, provides a framework that enables economic, social and environmental development to proceed in a sustainable manner. The White Paper presents the South African government's vision for an effective climate change response. The response is guided by principles set out in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the National Environmental Management Act, Millennium Declaration and the UNFCCC.
When it comes to gender mainstreaming and climate change, during the public hearings process on the Green Paper on climate change by the Department of Water and Environmental affairs as well as during the parliamentary public hearings held by the portfolio committee, a common complaint by many stakeholders was the limited attention paid to gender mainstreaming and, more particularly, to the participation of and consultation with women by government departments in addressing the potential ravages of climate change. The department of Water and Environmental Affairs noted these comments and as the process of the White Paper further develops, all these concerns will be taken on board.
The argument made at the National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change focused mainly on the limited participation of women in the planning of programmes and interventions. This was emphasised because most often women are the agents of change and a source of practical knowledge.
There was a call for a strategy of information, education and communication on climate change. This should crosscut all the departments, supported by the necessary budgetary provisions. The green economy must include all branches of society to ensure that climate justice equals social justice. Special emphasis should be placed on gender-based budgeting and monitoring in relation to climate change issues at all levels of government in South Africa.
In conclusion, the implementation of that section of the White Paper therefore places an enormous obligation on Parliament, and particularly on us as legislatures, to hold government accountable in its difficult pursuit of moving towards a low-carbon development economy. But, as always, factoring in our developmental agenda to ensure food security, job creation and the alleviation of poverty, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, guided by my inspirational chairperson, Comrade De Lange, has taken the first step in projecting a long-term programme to analyse and oversee the future path of the White Paper and particularly its impact at a sectoral level.
Future public hearings will be held in 2012 and onwards with various government departments and other relevant stakeholders from the energy, transport and mineral resources sectors. This will further assist and strengthen the climate change White Paper and the government's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The ANC supports the Report.
Thank you, hon member. [Interjections.]
Angithi shwele Ngcolosi, nxese Dlabazana! Lixhoshwa libhekile. [Let me say I am sorry, Ngcolosi, I am sorry, Dlabazana! We are all prone to making mistakes.]
Chairperson, it is an indisputable fact that climate change is the biggest challenge facing humanity in the 21st century. While the industrial revolution started 150 years ago, we are seeing its consequences today. As Yvo de Boer said:
The financial crisis is a result of our living beyond our financial means but the climate crisis is a result of our living beyond our planet's means.
Climate change specialists had the foresight to begin the process of preserving our planet, and one of the results was the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, which was adopted on 21 March 1994.
Yet another instrument, the Kyoto Protocol, was drafted in 1997 but was agreed to, in 2005, by 190 parties only. The main objective of this protocol is to achieve emission reduction targets. The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will end in December 2012 and recent Conference of Parties, Cops, have become fixated on extending the second commitment period. The main challenge is that the developed countries are rather reluctant to compromise their national interests.
The eyes of the world are going to be fixed on Durban in 10 days' time. Hosting Cop 17 is expected to draw more participants than last year's Fifa World Cup. Our first and perhaps main challenge is to ensure that Durban will not be the graveyard of the Kyoto Protocol. First prize will be to get all 194 parties to agree to a second commitment. But if we can't do that, we must go for a full pronouncement. Adaptation has to be placed at the centre of Cop 17's outcomes, especially the establishment of an adaptation committee. Most importantly, we need to operationalise the Green Climate Fund. The annual G20 meeting, which took place in France last week, failed to find ways to finalise the Green Climate Fund. Right now, it's like a bank with no money.
South Africa is the 12 highest greenhouse gas emitter and Africa's highest. We don't look so good, so we have a responsibility ahead of us and we have to lead by example.
The UNFCCC fails to recognise gender aspects of climate change and point 18 of the declaration in the report that we are supporting today expresses the concern that, as a country, South Africa is considered to be a leader in gender equality but the South African government's dedication to climate change negotiations has not taken an active enough lead in gender mainstreaming at international forums and negotiations. The DA supports the Report of the National Consultative Seminar on Climate Change and wishes team South Africa every success at Cop 17.
Chairperson, when it comes to the matters at hand, I must say from the word go that as Members of Parliament we are all speaking one language. When we hear Mr Greyling panicking here, I am sure he is bothered by his own personal issues which have nothing to do with what we are talking about here.
Chairperson, colleagues, fellow South Africans, allow me to dedicate this debate on the vulnerable to those who are vulnerable - the people who have very little alternative, if any, in times of natural disaster, the have- nots, the downtrodden, the proletariat - because the haves have all sorts of alternatives to help them survive when such times come.
Within the context of the theme, Attaining Consensus and Commitment in Achieving an International Agreement on Climate Change, at Cop 17, our national Parliament continues to play the role of providing a platform for national dialogue; overseeing the work of the executive; enacting laws; ratifying such agreements; and allocating budgets. Consistent with these roles, we are proud to have convened such a successful seminar. It drew a number of players from labour, traditional and religious leaders, CBOs, NGOs, business, government and MPs, all speaking with one voice, as we were called upon by our commander in chief, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, to play our part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
President Zuma further commands us to play our part as we welcome the world to our shores to attend Cop 17, also known as African Cop, and to wear green, as I am today, in support of the conference. Our Parliament has been exposed to these Cops, at least since Cop 15 in Copenhagen, building up to our African Cop 17 in Durban. As this is a government-to-government negotiating process, Parliament plays more of a support role and familiares itself with the details of the negotiations. This is important because, in the final analysis, it is Parliament that has to ratify the agreements that are made at these forums.
We are equally looking forward to hosting parliamentarians from the G20 countries and nations through the Global Legislature Forum here at the Old Assembly. It is a forum of parliamentarians and experts from these countries who are influential in driving our respective positions home. This is going to be held from the 2nd to 4th December 2011. Also, Parliament shall join MPs of more than 150 countries under the banner of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, in Durban on 5 December 2011.
The importance of our role as MPs speaks volumes, as has been demonstrated in other parliaments, such as in the USA and European Union. Soon after Senate elections in the USA, the legislative processes that had been started by Congressman Ed Markey were scuttled when the Republicans increased their majority in the Congress, effectively stalling the processing of progressive legislation on climate change. Another example is that of EU MPs who had to increase the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from what had been agreed upon by the executives. Guided by our negotiating position as Africa and South Africa, we are confident that we will progress towards a 2C reduction by the end of 2050 and a second commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, while South Africa has set for itself a target of reducing emissions by 24% in 2020 and 42% in 2025 respectively.
As Parliament we have started our own plans regarding the greening of our institutions and the villages where we stay. These are at an advanced stage. We are glad to inform the House that on all matters relating to climate change we are indeed speaking with one voice, across the political spectrum.
While we are all focusing on a legally binding agreement to be reached at Cop 17, we must also focus on the day-to-day work that is being done by our own municipalities through the installation of solar heating geysers and Eskom, which has just closed applications for phase one of renewable energies through IPPs, among others.
In conclusion, not all is gloom and doom. Today is indeed better than yesterday, and tomorrow shall be better than today. As the people of South Africa started an organised war of liberation on 16 December 1961, the manifesto of our glorious army, uMkhonto weSizwe, declared: "The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices: submit or fight." That time has come to South Africans again. We shall not submit and we have no other choice but to hit back with all the means in our power in defence of our people, our planet, our future, and our freedom. South Africa, Africa and the world communities must adapt or die. Victory is certain. The ANC-led Parliament leads! The ANC-led Parliament lives! Forwards to Cop 17 - African Cop!
Debate concluded.
Chairperson. I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.