The Department of Environmental Affairs invites interested parties to submit written comments on the proposed draft Climate Change Bill

You are invited to object or support the Climate Change Bill by providing comment below. Should you be at a loss for words, read the live comments or official documents below the form. Feel free to copy and paste into the message area provided.   Closing date is midnight 8 August 2018.

Add your comment now.

266 had a say

A copy of your message will be sent to you along with an automated proof of receipt. Check your junk mail folder if you can’t find it.

It is important to note this is not simply a petition but is the first step in an essential Participative Democracy process. And here’s the best bit; as each comment is immediately sent as a unique email to the designated government representative, comments must, by law, be individually acknowledged and considered by the Government. Had this been a petition, they would treat it as a single comment.

By using this service you ensure an accurate record is held by civil society (on our encrypted database) so government cannot fudge facts and figures. This process forms a solid foundation for a legal case should the necessity arise.

SHARE THIS TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS

LIVE COMMENT FEED

Displaying newest 10 comments sent. Reload the page to see more.

SUMMARY

• The bill determines that all persons must submit a climate change plan and will be allocated a Carbon Budget by the Minister. Those failing to comply with the allocation will face fines of up to R10 million and/or 10 years imprisonment.
• The purpose of the Bill is to build an effective climate change response and ensure the long-term, just transition to a climate resilient and lower carbon economy and society.
• This will be done within the context of sustainable development for South Africa, and will provide for all matters related to climate change.
• The Bill acknowledges that anthropogenic climate change represents an urgent threat to human societies and the environment, and requires an effective, progressive and well-coordinated  response.
• It further highlights that, amongst others, anticipated domestic climate change impacts have the potential to undermine the country’s development goals, and that responses to climate change raise unique challenges, thus requiring a legislative framework for the implementation of the country’s national climate change response.
• The National Climate Change Bills addresses issues related institutional and coordination arrangement across the three spheres of government namely national, provincial and local.
• It further highlights the need for the spheres of government and entities, sectors as well business to respond to challenges of  climate change.
• The bill further address the matters relating to, the national adaptation to impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and removals, and policy alignment and institutional arrangements.

The objects of the proposed Act are to:

• Provide for the  coordinated and integrated response to climate change and its impacts by all spheres of government in accordance with the principles of cooperative governance;
• Provide for the effective management of inevitable climate change impacts through enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change, with a view to building social, economic, and environmental resilience and an adequate national adaptation response in the context of the global climate change response;  and to
• Make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system within a timeframe and in a manner that enables economic, employment, social and environmental development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

DOCUMENTS

Download the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Report and memorandum of objects

Download the National Climate Change Bill