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.