Copenhagen is marking the launch of the new South Africa Climate Action Plan for climate change. It shows its adverse effects on South Africa and its people, and the action plan has been developed in partnership with stakeholders from different sectors. It was adopted during COP24, the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The plan sets out actions and interventions that all members of the Global Partnership on Climate and Sanitation must prioritise. This will ensure that South Africa can integrate into global efforts to prevent climate change and promote sustainable development. The aim of the actions is to help South Africa adapt to the impacts of climate change [1].
Key Points of the Action Plan
The five key priority actions in the plan are as follows:
- Integrate climate change considerations into all aspects of State, local government, and global partnership processes.
- Integrate climate change considerations into planning processes that provide protection against the adverse impacts of climate change. This includes flood risk management and climate change adaptation.
- Formulate a National Climate Change Response Strategy.
- Implement a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, aligned with the National Development Plan. [2]
- Implement the action plan.
Further Points of the South Africa’s Plan
- Considering other actions, i.e. water use planning, to help to reduce vulnerability and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The National Department of Water and Sanitation has commended South Africa Climate for the plan and has stated that all relevant stakeholders should make use of it in moving forward with the implementation. It has further thanked all partners involved in the development of the action plan.[3]
References:
[1] South Africa, https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/international/cooperation/south-africa_en
[2] The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen, https://issafrica.org/amp/iss-today/the-role-of-basic-countries-in-the-climate-change-negotiations-after-copenhagen
[3] South Africa Submits its Climate Action Plan Ahead of 2015 Paris Agreement, https://unfccc.int/news/south-africa-submits-its-climate-action-plan-ahead-of-2015-paris-agreement