(Credit: Pixel)
Johannesburg, July 23 President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has formally enacted a comprehensive climate law that requires all cities and municipalities to develop strategies for adapting to the changing climate and places restrictions on large polluters’ emissions.
The recently enacted Climate Change Act is meant to help South Africa fulfill its commitments to cut emissions under the rules of the Paris Agreement, according to a statement released by the presidency on Tuesday.South Africa, which has the most carbon-intensive economy and is among the top 15 global greenhouse gas polluters, is at risk of not fulfilling its climate obligations because of its reliance on coal-generated energy. According to attorney Brandon Abdinor of the nonprofit Center for Environmental Rights, this is a significant milestone since it is the first time that our response to climate change has been codified in national law.
Although there is still much to be done, Abdinor stated that this legislation “lays the foundation for what needs to be done.”
The presidential statement omitted the date on which Ramaphosa signed the legislation, but it does require every province and municipality to evaluate the risks associated with climate change and develop an action plan.Furthermore, as mandated by law, the environment minister must provide big businesses that emit greenhouse gases a carbon budget that caps those businesses’ emissions for a set amount of time. Even if the exact budgets have not yet been determined, going past these limitations won’t be regarded as a crime, despite the demands of some environmental groups demanding fines. Abdinor did clarify, though, that businesses who exceed their carbon budgets may face higher carbon tax rates.
“We expect significant reductions in emissions from major corporations with compulsory carbon budgets now in place,” University of Cape Town climate policy expert Harald Winkler stated on X (previously Twitter). “Annual transparency in reporting will be vital,” he added.This statute suggests that the South African government may be acting more in favor of renewable energy and climate change than it did under past administrations. Though precise plans are still pending, the newly appointed energy minister has pledged to expedite the switch to renewable energy sources. The amount of funding required to implement the bill is not entirely clear. Although Western donors have provided billions of dollars in loans to aid with the transition, South African officials argue that this funding is insufficient.
