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To: President Ramaphosa
From Paper to Action: Implement South Africa’s Climate Change Act Now
We call on you, Mr. President, to prioritise the operationalisation of the Climate Change Act to address the ongoing climate crisis that threatens the health, livelihoods, and well-being of all living in South Africa, especially those with the least adaptive capacity.
Why is this important?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a stark warning: global warming is on track to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold that will lead to catastrophic impacts such as rising sea levels, more frequent droughts, and extreme weather events.
South Africa has already been significantly impacted by climate change, with droughts, heatwaves, and severe storms becoming more frequent and intense, claiming lives and destroying infrastructure. As we enter the second half of what scientists have dubbed the critical decade, the worst of the climate crisis is yet to come. Without the full implementation of the Climate Change Act, South Africa risks further deepening the existing social and economic inequalities. These inequalities are exacerbated by apartheid-era spatial planning and environmental degradation, which has left black communities more vulnerable to climate impacts and less ready to bounce back.
Why it's essential to act now?
The Climate Change Act, signed into law in 2024, provides a comprehensive implementation framework for climate mitigation and adaptation. However, without its full operationalisation, this framework remains an empty promise. The climate crisis is accelerating, and the window to act is closing rapidly. By operationalising the Climate Change Act, we can ensure that South Africa meets its climate commitments, sets ambitious but achievable targets for emission reductions, and prioritises climate adaptation where it is needed most.
South Africa has already been significantly impacted by climate change, with droughts, heatwaves, and severe storms becoming more frequent and intense, claiming lives and destroying infrastructure. As we enter the second half of what scientists have dubbed the critical decade, the worst of the climate crisis is yet to come. Without the full implementation of the Climate Change Act, South Africa risks further deepening the existing social and economic inequalities. These inequalities are exacerbated by apartheid-era spatial planning and environmental degradation, which has left black communities more vulnerable to climate impacts and less ready to bounce back.
Why it's essential to act now?
The Climate Change Act, signed into law in 2024, provides a comprehensive implementation framework for climate mitigation and adaptation. However, without its full operationalisation, this framework remains an empty promise. The climate crisis is accelerating, and the window to act is closing rapidly. By operationalising the Climate Change Act, we can ensure that South Africa meets its climate commitments, sets ambitious but achievable targets for emission reductions, and prioritises climate adaptation where it is needed most.
The Act mandates the integration of climate action across all levels of government, from national to local, ensuring that adaptation strategies are tailored to the needs of vulnerable communities and that mitigation efforts are legally binding. However, these provisions will not be realised unless swiftly and effectively implemented. It is essential that climate change response is more solidly mainstreamed across government departments.
The President must operationalise the Climate Change Act to:
- Ensure the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are legally binding: South Africa’s climate targets, outlined in the NDCs, must be enabled by the Climate Change Act and be legally enforceable. This will demonstrate South Africa's commitment to protecting constitutional rights and observing international climate agreements, holding the country accountable for its commitment to the Paris Agreement.
- Prioritise climate adaptation for vulnerable communities: South Africa must have legally binding measures that allow the country to create targeted adaptation strategies into national and local governance frameworks, focusing on supporting low-income, rural, and marginalised communities. This includes disaster preparedness, access to resources, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
- Promote institutional reform: This will drive institutional reform by promoting coherence and collaboration across government departments addressing climate change policies. This will encourage/force alignment of policies, laws, and decisions with the core principles of the Act.
- Strengthen climate advocacy in the country: with an enforceable piece of legislation, climate advocates can support their work with a legal framework.