The South African Climate Change Bill (B9-2022) aims to create a comprehensive legislative framework for the country’s response to climate change. Here are some key points and provisions of the bill:
- Objective and Scope: The bill seeks to build resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change impacts, promote sustainable development, and facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
- National Adaptation Strategy: It mandates the development of a National Adaptation Strategy to guide the country’s adaptation efforts, which includes setting specific targets and objectives for reducing vulnerability to climate change.
- Mitigation System: The bill establishes a national system for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which includes defining sectoral emissions targets and carbon budgets. This system aims to support the country’s commitments under international climate agreements.
- Institutional Arrangements: The bill outlines the roles and responsibilities of various government bodies, including the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, in coordinating climate change response actions across different sectors and levels of government.
- Monitoring and Reporting: It introduces a robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting framework to track progress on adaptation and mitigation efforts. This includes regular reporting to Parliament on the state of climate change response measures.
- Public Participation: The bill emphasizes the importance of involving the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of climate change policies and strategies.
- Provincial and Local Government Roles: It defines the specific responsibilities of provincial and local governments in implementing climate change response actions, ensuring a cohesive approach across all levels of governance.
The bill has passed through the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces and is now awaiting the president’s assent to become law.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the official Climate Change Bill page on PMG.