Chairperson, hon Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, Deputy Minister hon Rejoice Mabudafhasi ...
... akusemnandi xa ndimane ndisithi sisi sisi sisi kungekho tata ... [... it feels so good in both cases to refer to women and not to men.]
Hon Members of Parliament and all our guests, it was back in 1992 when the environmental desk of the ANC attended the UN Conference on Environment and Development. Its policies influenced post-apartheid thinking on environmental issues. This was reflected in the ANC's first election manifesto of 1994, and subsequent manifestos reflect the centrality of the environmental sustainable development agenda, with its recent emphasis on climate change.
Sustainable development means the integration of social, economic and environmental factors into planning, implementation and decision-making so as to ensure that development serves present and future generations. There are indications in South Africa that the approach to climate change is shifting from one based on environment alone to one cast more broadly in terms of sustainable development, particularly at the international level.
Chairperson, the ANC election manifesto of 2009 emphasised the need to develop and invest in a programme to create large numbers of green jobs, in other words employment in industries and facilities that are designed to mitigate the effects of climate change. South Africa recognises that global climate change is a formidable threat to sustainable development. It could undermine global poverty alleviation efforts and have severe implications for food security, clean water, energy supply, environmental health and human settlement.
In response to the climate challenges, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs has begun working in Parliament on joint committee initiatives on climate change. This started in October 2009. Public hearings were held in Parliament in November 2009, and the Joint Committee of Chairpersons visited Washington and different countries, such as Swaziland and Denmark, to engage with legislators on the implications of climate change on their constituencies. We also interacted with countries like the United Kingdom via a video conference here in Parliament. It became obvious that parliaments and legislators in every country had a bigger role to play on issues of climate change.
The government sees climate-change response actions as a significant factor in boosting sustainable economic and social development. Thus, it is fitting that South Africa's approach to climate change is consistent with the concern expressed in the international arena. This also applies to the ongoing international climate-change negotiations, in which South Africa plays a critical role.
Chairperson, the underlying aims of the public hearings that were held in Parliament in 2009 provide the framework within which the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs intends to pursue its climate change agenda. These aims were, among others, firstly, to develop a comprehensive picture of how climate change impacts on communities and ecosystems in South Africa; secondly, to understand gaps in existing legislation and government policies; thirdly, to understand the gaps in government's response to climate change and sustainable development; and finally, to identify short-, medium- and long-term solutions and the action needed from Parliament and government.
It also became obvious from the contributions of most of the presenters and stakeholders at the public hearings that South Africa needed a clear climate-change policy. Climate change is a governance issue. In Africa itself climate change is a major threat to sustainable growth and development. Although Africa is the continent least responsible for climate change, it is particularly vulnerable to its effects, including reduced agricultural production, worsening food security, the increased incidence of both flooding and drought, the spread of diseases and the increased risk of conflict over scarce land and water resources, as mentioned by the Minister.
Climate change is a new programme introduced in the current financial year, with the aim of facilitating an effective national mitigation and adaptation response to it. This is indeed necessary, considering the ongoing and anticipated negative consequences of climate change for Africa and South Africa, with the limited mitigation and adaptation interventions by government.
The environmental consequences of global warming - that is, the melting of glaciers, floods, a rise in sea levels, droughts, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, etc - will exact enormous economic costs. As a result of damage to infrastructure, the cost of repair and replacement will increase substantially.
The success of environmental programmes such as biodiversity and conservation, renewable energy in the face of climate change, and pollution management, among other things, mainly depends on funding, funding, funding - and good programme management.
Climate change is here. Look at what happened in Haiti and what is happening in Yushu in the People's Republic of China, where hundreds of people have lost their lives in earthquakes.
Chairperson, it is important that legislators ensure that climate change, underpinned by a sustainable development agenda, is high on their oversight mandate over government plans, decisions and legislation. There are a number of broad options that one could consider which, when we look at climate change holistically, draw in the work of a range of departments and entities. It is indeed a cross-cutting issue, just like water.
There is a need to look critically at the environmental impact assessment system and to introduce the strategic assessment of the impact of climate change, public policies, plans, etc. We need to ensure that any governance component on climate change is housed within a powerful body or government department that can develop strategies and national goals and co-ordinate the response across sectors and spheres.
Local municipalities are a key partner in any national climate-change response. In sharing the responsibility for the future, national, provincial and local spheres of government and legislators also need to oversee the way in which municipalities translate the climate-change agenda at local level.
As representatives of the citizenry and through their oversight functions and constituency offices, parliamentarians are in a better position to identify and respond to societal needs. Parliaments are responsible for approving national budgets and therefore have a major say in how state resources are allocated. This gives Parliament the authority to ensure that substantial resources are allocated to the sectors that are important and relevant.
USis' Nosipho angaxhalabi ndizakuyisa imali kuye. [Ms Nosipho must not worry; I will send her the money.]
We urge the government to ensure that all government policies and programmes align themselves with the overarching goals of the above- mentioned policies, especially in terms of targets, to help foster consistency in the national climate-change response message. Conflicting messages from different departments make the management of the cross- cutting issue of climate change extremely difficult at the local level.
The role of the legislators on climate change was critical at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. International agreements are the base documents that define national policies and pieces of domestic legislation. Legislators therefore need to make their input and undertake oversight over the relevant treaties and conventions that will guide the work of committees on climate change.
As I said when I was in Copenhagen, Parliament won't be used as a rubber stamp on treaties that have been signed abroad. We need to be part of all those treaties.
It is also critical that legislators begin to engage seriously on the proposals from the Joint Committee of Chairpersons - I am now addressing you, presiding officers. These proposals include, firstly, setting up a multiparty intersectoral committee on climate change and sustainable development in Parliament; secondly, holding a mini-conference to address the outcome of the December 2009 Copenhagen Accord, because there was no deal; thirdly, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs assessing the outcome of the Copenhagen Accord and making recommendations to the legislators on undertaking oversight. In the fourth instance the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs had the opportunity to engage with legislators from all over the world through the Globe forum. It is therefore necessary that a Globe South Africa office be set up to function as a base for creating other Globe offices in the rest of Africa.
Lastly, the participation of legislators in the climate-change dialogues of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is equally important. This must also extend to all bilateral and multilateral agreements in which South Africa is involved.
We applaud the environment Ministry for the establishment of a task team led by your department, Minister, to focus on the issues of climate change in preparation for the 2011 Climate Change Conference. As you mentioned, it is going to be held in South Africa. The portfolio committee will be working closely with this task team, as agreed at a portfolio committee meeting.
In conclusion, Chairperson, let me take this opportunity to thank the Minister for making it possible for the Parliament of South Africa to be part of the delegation to the 15th Conference of the Parties, Cop 15, in December 2009. If it were not for you, Minister, we would not have been part of that conference.
Whuntshu, sisi. Amaqobokazana angalal' endleleni yazini kunyembelekile. Uyibambe njalo, ke sisi. Ngentetho yesitsotsi bathi: "Ubhoso wena." [Kwahlekwa.] [Miss, congratulations. No mountain is too high to climb. Keep up the good work. In street slang they say: "You rock." [Laughter.]]
I wish everybody could have seen her in Copenhagen, putting Africa as a continent prominently on the map, leading the entire African continent. Thank you, Minister.
Thank you, Director-General Nosipho Ngcaba and your team for the valuable work and insight offered to the committee. We have decided to look for an umkhukhu [shack] in order for you to be near Cape Town. Every so often, we have to call you to Cape Town. Thank you very much for that.
The following portfolio committees also contributed to the success of the work of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs on issues of climate change: Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Affairs, Energy, Science and Technology, and Tourism. As much as I mention only these committees, issues of climate change affect all committees in Parliament and therefore we need to begin strategising on collaborative initiatives in Parliament.
To all the stakeholders that made presentations in the public hearings, the NGOs, academia and research institutions, among others, we thank you for contributing to the knowledge base of this committee and hope for future collaboration.
To the House Chairperson, hon Obed Bapela, thank you for taking a heartfelt interest in climate change and for leading this team to Copenhagen in December 2009. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you.