Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Molewa, hon Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi, hon members, our guests and colleagues, let me start by announcing that we will be hosting the 8th Annual Air Quality Governance Lekgotla in the Western Cape from 30 September to 2 October 2013 under the theme: "Towards the first decade of unified and sustainable air quality governance in South Africa." Note that, please.
At its 53rd National Conference in Mangaung, the ANC resolved to continue to influence progressive ideas and policy on how best to improve and ensure the sustainability of the environment. In the past few decades, an awareness of the damaging effects of environmental pollution on human beings and their quality of life has increased dramatically.
The needs of South Africa's 51 million people are largely derived from or dependent upon our environment. This dependence is quite significant, as there are eight times more people who are trying to survive on the same quantity of natural resources than was the case a century ago. Increased resource consumption and waste production are in the meantime, impairing the functioning and productivity of the ecosystem. Increased influence through employment also leads to the increased consumption of natural resources and increased production of waste and air pollution.
Many national constitutions and laws recognise the right to a healthy environment. Prior to South Africa developing constitutional provisions that guarantee the right to a healthy environment, the ANC in 1994 developed its principles of environmental policy, which state that the ANC believes that all citizens of South Africa, present and future, have the right to a safe and healthy environment and to a life of wellbeing. It furthermore stated that the broad objective of its environmental policy will be to fulfil this right and, in this context, growth and development within South Africa will be based on the principles of sustainability.
This fundamental belief of the ANC translated itself into constitutional provisions that guarantee the right to a healthy environment. A number of factors or drivers that stem from socioeconomic activities influence the environment, affecting the ecosystem, health and people's quality of life.
Waste management and air quality management are just some of the environmental management functions that have received priority in recent years. Waste has a direct and an indirect impact and, if not removed, attracts vermin, which can be vectors of disease. The effects of waste on the environment, such as the contamination of surface and ground water resources, are primarily damaging. Atmospheric emissions from incinerators and the illegal burning of waste contribute to air pollution. These pollution components include volatile organic carbon compounds that may pose human health risks.
Technology can change into actions, influence the use of resources in production and change the flow of waste production and the manner in which it is managed. Cleaner production technologies seek both to protect the environment and improve production. Cleaner production is an important area of technological investment in South Africa.
Effective management of chemicals and waste is an important area in ensuring access to a safe and healthy environment. The ANC-led government has put in place a revolutionary legislative regime for waste management with the enactment of the National Environmental Management Act commonly known as Nema. With the approval of the National Waste Management Strategy by Cabinet last year, this Act, is already in the implementation mode. This strategy ushers in a new regime in waste minimisation while responding to the need to create jobs in the recycling sectors of the economy.
An amount of R65,7 million has been appropriated for chemical and waste management in this year's budget. This amount will increase to R72,2 million in 2014-15 and R79,2 million in 2015-16. The spending focus over the medium term will be on developing an appropriate legislative framework and building the capacity in order to improve the provision of quality chemical and waste management services across the country, with clear environmental health benefits for communities.
In the next five years, all key stakeholders and other spheres of government will continue working together to ensure that effective waste management strategies are developed and implemented to effectively deal with and manage toxic and hazardous chemicals.
Improving the quality of our air is arguably one of the most pressing and challenging environmental issues. Air pollution and health impact studies in South Africa reflect that air pollution exposure results in numerous health problems in the general population, with the effects more pronounced among the elderly and young people. Vulnerability to air pollution and other environmental problems is also more evident among the poor. This vulnerability has been worsened due to the location of heavy industrial developments in close proximity to high-density residential areas.
There is therefore growing concern in South Africa about the levels of air pollution, mainly from industrial and commercial emissions; the domestic use of wood, coal and paraffin; vehicle exhaust emissions; biomass burning; and energy production.
It is proposed in South Africa's 2012 draft Environment Outlook report that compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the NAAQS, be achieved by 2020. By then, the air quality in all low-income settlements should meet the requirements of these standards, which are aimed at limiting the emission of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, amongst others.
The aim of air quality management is to protect public health and the environment from the damaging effects of air pollution and to eliminate or reduce, to the minimum, human exposure to hazardous air pollutants. To achieve sustainable development, it is necessary to develop air quality policies, strategies and government policy which will serve as the foundation for air quality management.
It is estimated that air pollution costs the public health system over R3 billion to address air quality-related respiratory infections each year. These pollutions include greenhouse gas emissions, which are the cause of human-induced global warming and climate change.
The climate change and air quality management programme receives R233,8 million for this financial year. This amount will increase to R247,7 million in 2014-15 and R260,1 million in 2015-16. The spending focus over the medium term will be on air quality management and providing for the country's ability to more accurately predict significant changes in weather patterns.
The ANC has played a leading role in shaping global debates on environmental justice, including through participation in the Rio Earth Summit, followed by South Africa's hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. At these historic forums, the ANC has consistently championed a progressive response to the environmental dimensions of developmental challenges facing Africa and countries of the South. Chair, not even one minute? [Laughter.] The ANC supports the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]