Africa-Press – South-Africa. Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy said that the bill was a crucial, first step to ensuring the country had a legal instrument to build capacity to respond to the impact of climate change and reduce emissions in a way that was appropriate to national circumstances.
The National Assembly has passed its first bill aimed at addressing climate change, despite objections from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).
Motivating the bill in the House on Tuesday, Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy said it was imperative that the climate transition was a just one.
She said that decarbonising the economy must create new local industries and new jobs.
The Climate Change Bill was introduced in Parliament in February last year.
Creecy said that the bill was a crucial, first step to ensuring the country had a legal instrument to build capacity to respond to the impact of climate change and reduce emissions in a way that was appropriate to national circumstances.
The bill will allow for the reduction of greenhouse gases through the implementation of sectoral targets set towards reaching zero emissions.
It will also allow for national government to allocate more money for climate change programmes, especially at local level to build the resilience of vulnerable communities.
“As our country develops our vision of a just transition to a low carbon economy and climate resilient society, we will ensure it’s sustainable, inclusive, comprehensive and leaves no one behind.”
Under the bill, the Presidential Climate Commission will formally be established as a statutory body to mobilise all sectors to present a societal response to climate change.
The bill has now been sent to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence.
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