DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Office of the MEC
Diamond Corner Building, 68 Eloff & Market Street, Johannesburg
P O Box 8769, Johannesburg, 2000
Telephone: (011) 355-1980
Fax: (011) 333-0620
Email: gdace@gauteng.gov.za
Website: http://www.gpg.gov.za
Keynote Address Presented by Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, the
MEC
of
Gauteng
department
of
Agriculture
and
Rural
Development, at the Gauteng Climate Change Indaba held on
the 15 March 2011
Programme Director: Ms Priscilla Pietersen: GDARD DDG for
Transversal
MEC for Gauteng Government and Housing: Mr Humprey Mmemezi
Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor: Hon. Clr Gungubele
Guest Speaker; Dr Ludger Eltorp: University of Stuttgart, Germany
MP’s. MPL’s Executive Mayors. MMC’s, Speakers, Chief-whips, and
Fellow Clrs
Representative of SALGA
HOD of GDARD and Acting HOD of GDED
Representative
of
the
National
Department
of
Water
and
Environmental Affairs
Municipal Manager of Ekurhuleni
Senior Manager from the three spheres of government
Representative from University of Johannesburg
Representatives from BUSA, WWF, and other formation of civil
society present
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Molweni, Sanibonani, Dumelang, Goie More, Good morning to you
all and may I convey greetings from our Gauteng Provincial
Government, led by honorable Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
A few days ago, approximately 10 000 people went missing and
about 1700 were feared killed as Japan woke up to scene of awaful
devastation and horror from the 5th largest earthquake since 1900
and a series of Tsunamis. In spite of the fact that Japan is prone to
earthquakes, we all can’t stop asking ourselves if this has something
to do with climate change. Same applied to the floods that engulfed
eight of our nine provinces as few weeks ago as well as the draught
that damage crops in Western Cape at the same time.
Since the industrial revolution, average global temperature have
risen significantly and are continuing to rise. The cause is the
increase qualities of green gases in our atmosphere generated by
human activities that include burning of fossil fuel, deforestation,
industrialization, inefficient road transportation and intensive
method of agricultural production.
We have no other choice but to take up the challenges of
acknowledging this and act together to save tomorrow by what we
do today. We as government in South Africa acting together with
progressive forces, have therefore been consistent in our
commitment on environmental issues since 1994, hence we ensured
that environmental rights were firmly entrenched in our 1996
Constitution so that both individuals and communities are able to
defend their rights to a safe and sound environment that is not
harmful to our health or wellbeing and as environment protected for
the benefit of present and future generations. Protecting our
environment is everyone’s responsibility.
Our laws, policies and strategies demand that we stop polluting the
air and our wetlands, we stop degrading our ecology and instead
promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
whilst promoting justifiable social and economic development. If we
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do not do this, we will continue to contribute to rapidly rising
temperatures which will result in dramatic and irreversible climate
related impacts that will have dramatic effects on the human beings
and on our natural environment. The National department
representative will later elaborate on other
Laws and policies developed and implemented over the years to
tackle climate change.
As a result of global warming, the polar ice caps are already melting,
and as we have seen in Asia recently, changes are taking place in
sea currents and sea levels. We have witnessed how these unusual
and unpredictable weather and climate patterns jeopardize human
settlements, livelihoods and infrastructure. These are changes in
climate patterns that will result in a shift in rainfall quantities and
distribution affecting our biodiversity and fundamentally change
current commercial as well as age-old patterns of agricultural
production and of livelihoods.
The Bulk of the World’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by
the developed world. However, as the pace of developments
increases, developing countries including China, India and ourselves
are contributing an increasing amount to the concentration of
greenhouses in the atmosphere. SA is responsible for about 1% of
the world’s greenhouse emissions. This is a relatively small
proportion, but it means that we are the world’s 14th largest
producers of greenhouse gases and along with India and China we
are seen as one of the large developing country emitters. The reason
for this is our country’s heavy reliance on coal as the main sources
of our energy. This places an obligation on South Africa in terms of
fulfilling our international responsibilities to demonstrate our
seriousness and commitment to greenhouse gas reduction.
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To demonstrate our seriousness, South Africa is a signatory to the
Kyoto Protocol and United Nation Framework and United Nation
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) whilst some
big polluters are not signatories. South Africa has also played a
leading role in shaping global debate on environmental justice
including climate change as demonstrated by our participation in
the Rio Earth Summit, followed by our successful hosting of the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 in Joburg.
South Africa led climate change negotiation on behalf of Africa at the
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009 in spite of not
achieving a legally binding agreement on the reduction of gas
emissions and on other fundamental issues. South Africa also made
a huge contribution at the Cancun Climate Change Conference in
2010. Despite difficulties, Cancun delivered asset of decision that
re-established confidences in the multilateral negotiations under
UNFCCC including setting up process to elaborate governance and
operational modalities, setting up of the climate change fund to
assist poor and worse affected countries.
South Africans are currently hard at work to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to protect our environment and promote sustainable
development. This work includes energy efficiency improvements in
industries and households, diversification of energy sources away
from coal including through energy renewable especially solar power
and wind power/energy, research and development of innovation
clean and low carbon technologies, exploration and development of
carbon capture and storage methods, efficient use of electricity and
saving of water, promotion of affordable public transport, e.g. BRT.
All this and other work is done through partnerships because we
believe that if we work together, we can do more in adapting to the
inevitable impacts of climate change.
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A the Gauteng provincial level, some of the immediate actions taken
to tackle climate change as part of our commitment to protecting
and enhancing environmental assets and natural resources, include
implementation of our clean and green campaign with
municipalities, NGO’s and communities including waste
minimisation, implementation of the Gauteng air quality
management plan to monitor the quality of air, protecting
ecologically sensitive areas through the Environmental Impact
Assessment processes and land use applications, land care projects
including planting of trees. (About 60 000 trees have been planted
over the past year against a target of 1 million by 2014). We will
count more trees that have been planted by other role-players.
Today’s Indaba is about fulfilling our commitment to mitigate effects
of climate change and developing adaptation approaches by working
with all of you including our German counterparts and the
university of Johannesburg, in consolidating our Draft Gauteng
Strategy on Climate change in line with the National climate change
response green paper to be presented later.
COP17/CMP7 in Durban, SA in December will only succeed if we
all rally behind the Minister and National Department of
Environmental affairs and participate in related committees
preparing for this Climate Change Conference. South Africa is well
known for Successful International events, so let us raise the
standard even higher and achieve the outcomes that will be agreed
upon in responding to climate change.
I thank you all for being here, for listening and for your participation
in advance and wish you a successful Climate Change Indaba.
Media Contact person: Mr Makoko Lekola 0722743692
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