The Climate Change Act is the scaffolding upon which the nation’s approach to climate action will be built going forward.

The Climate Change Act is the scaffolding upon which the nation’s approach to climate action will be built going forward.

WWF is delighted that President Ramaphosa has finally signed the Climate Change Act into law, and would like to congratulate our lawmakers on completing this long process.

By providing for the mainstreaming of climate targets across government line ministries, it helps to embed the principles and aspirations of the nation’s commitments under the global Paris Agreement into national implementation.

James Reeler, WWF’s Senior Manager for Climate Action, says: “After nearly ten years of engagement, and seven years after the first draft Bill was published, it is heartening to see this Act finally passed. Over this same period South Africa has emitted over 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, and the evidence of climate change impacts on people’s lives and livelihoods has become increasingly apparent. The importance of this framework law in guiding our response to this crisis cannot be overstated.”

Regulations governing carbon budgets for high-emitting companies still need to be finalised, and the sectoral emission targets that guide relevant line ministries are still in process. However, the law does formalise the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) as the key advisory body guiding government on mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Louise Naudé, WWF’s Senior Climate Change Engagement Specialist and Commissioner on the PCC, says: “The act formalises the PCC as a Schedule 3 entity, with a strong role as advisory to government. All signals are that the effective cordial and independent relations we’ve built with the presidency, key ministries and government as a whole will persist. With commissioners from all social partners, the commission provides a means of surfacing, discussing and coalescing views from all quarters, founded on a solid evidence base.”

The Climate Change Act also requires national, provincial and municipal governments to consider the implications of climate change on their operations and plan accordingly.

Provincial and municipal forums on climate change will both raise awareness and ensure that people throughout the country can make their voices heard on the issue. This approach will ensure that development is climate-resilient. The linking of climate change adaptation to local-level planning has long been a gap, given that many of the impacts of a changing climate are highly dependent on local vulnerabilities.

The next step – of concluding the regulations under the act that govern emissions targets and company budgets – must be implemented as soon as feasible. Following this, the longer-term engagement on implementation, adaptation planning and revision of targets will occur over five-year cycles. However, in contrast to the slow processes of lawmaking and shifting economies, it is vital to remember that the ongoing perturbation of natural systems drives impacts that follow the laws of physics and dynamics of ecological processes.

“While the hard work still has to be done, the Climate Change Act provides a key legal framework for the country – and all our citizens – to steer away from the damaging and inequitable future that was otherwise locked in, and realise a vision for sustainable development.” says Reeler.

WWF looks forward to being part of South Africa’s transition to a clean, equitable and climate-resilient future, and protecting the natural systems that underpin human wellbeing.