Business Emerge, July 25: In a landmark move, South Africa has enacted the Climate Change Bill, which details a national strategy for addressing climate change through both mitigation and adaptation measures. This comprehensive legislation is designed to help the nation meet its emission reduction targets as stipulated by the Paris Agreement.
The Climate Change Bill outlines the roles of the Presidential Climate Commission, tasked with advising on climate response strategies to ensure a transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy. Key sectors such as energy, agriculture, transport, and industry will have specific emission targets. Relevant ministers will be responsible for implementing actions to meet these goals.
South Africa’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aims to cap greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 398-510 MtCO2eq by 2025, and further reduce them to 350-420 MtCO2eq by 2030. According to the latest national inventory, GHG emissions reached 469 MtCO2eq in 2020, excluding land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF). This marks a 3% decrease since 2020. Emissions from fuel combustion have been reducing by about 3% annually since 2018, reaching 421 MtCO2 in 2023, a level comparable to the 2004-2006 average.
Furthermore, the new law requires the environment minister to assign carbon budgets to major greenhouse gas emitters, setting specific limits on their emissions over a certain period. This measure aims to ensure that large companies contribute significantly to the country’s overall reduction goals.