SA now has a law that will coordinate a response to climate change. [Picture: UC San Diego Today]
South Africa’s newly-minted legislation on climate change has been welcomed as a “step in the right direction”, albeit with some criticism. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Climate Change Bill into law on Tuesday.
The signing of the bill into law came at a time when parts of the Western Cape province were dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding for the second year in a row. Similar disasters struck Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in recent years.
Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia on Thursday, Sherelee Odayar, campaigner at Greenpeace Africa welcomed the move. Remarking on the positive aspects of the law, she said:
“It has the potential to significantly strengthen and expedite mitigation and adaptation actions. It can do this by setting a clear legal framework, setting specific targets, improving data and monitoring, and ensuring coordinated cohesiveness among government departments as well.”
The Act is the country’s first comprehensive piece of legislation meant to tackle the climate crisis. It will ensure a coordinated response to the issue.
“While a few state departments and other government agencies have just transition outcomes explicitly outlined in their annual performance plans, the Act now clearly instructs every organ of state to review and if necessary, revise, amend, coordinate and harmonise their policies and measures, programmes and decisions to ensure that the risks of climate change impacts and associated vulnerabilities are taken into consideration,” reads a statement from the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC).
However, there are some aspects that have caused concern among activists. Odayar mentioned carbon budgets as one.
“We don’t necessarily agree with the carbon credit aspect that they have there because it will give companies, especially the very large companies that can afford to do this, leeway to emit more carbon,” she said.
