News
May 17, 2022
Climate Change Bill – Have Your Say
It is no exaggeration that South Africa’s climate crisis, which profoundly affects every person in society, requires immediate and urgent action.
The Climate Change Bill is one of the most important draft laws to cross the desks of our legislators. The bill was tabled by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy in Parliament on February 18.
The aim of the Bill is to ensure that South Africa has the necessary statutory framework to respond to climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and preparing to adapt to the effects of climate change. While legislation is not the primary solution to a problem as complex as the climate crisis, it will however provide crucial legal certainty to steer South Africa in the right direction.
Have your say
The Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries has now invited written comments on the Bill, due on 27 May 2022. To support this process, the Centre for Environmental Rights has developed a toolkit that:
- highlight concerns about the Bill;
- provide references and motivations for some of the key arguments against problematic clauses or omissions in the Bill;
- provide key information that can assist in putting comments together.
The idea is that you can then use the resources provided to support you in drafting your comments.
The toolkit was launched at webinar. You can watch the recorded the session here.
Click here to access the toolkit and presentation from the webinar.
Click below for some useful advocacy material and information to help raise awareness on the Bill and the concerns around it. Please use and share widely.
Factsheets on the Bill in English, IsiZulu and SeSotho
Please do write your comments and submit them to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment Forestry and Fisheries by 27 May 2022.
Key information on the Bill, including the 2022 Bill as tabled in Parliament, can be found at https://cer.org.za/programmes/pollution-climate-change/key-information