Parliament, Sunday, 21 May 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment has noted concerns raised by the residents of Karoo and Garden Route District Municipalities where the committee conducted public hearings on the Climate Change Bill over the weekend.
The residents in the two districts said the Bill is extremely weak on compliance and enforcement, and they argued that it would be almost completely toothless in its current form if it is not strengthened. They highlighted a concern that the only serious offence in the Bill is the failure to provide a greenhouse gas mitigation plan and yet, there are zero penalties with regard to a failure to implement such a plan.
They said a range of offences needs to be widened, and criminal and administrative penalties need to be added to the Bill. The residents call for excessive greenhouse gas emissions to be made a criminal offence by the Bill, with strong sanctions including the revoking of a license to operate by an entity.
Over the past two days the Committee heard views from individuals and interested organisations in Beaufort West in the Karoo District and in Knysna in the Garden Route District Municipality. Participants at the two venues made oral submissions on the Bill, to ensure that the final product of the Bill reflects their views.
The Bill aims to provide for a coordinated and integrated response to climate change, provide for the effective management of climate change impacts, make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations, ensure a just transition towards a low carbon economy and society.
During the public hearings in both municipalities other participants were happy to notice that the Bill acknowledges the threat that climate change presents and emphasized on the need for an effective, progressive, and incremental response. They want the Bill to protect lives and property and ensure that emitters are held accountable and compelled to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further harm to the environment.
Some residents in the Garden Route District Municipality highlighted that poor women suffer the most from climate change. They told the committee that rural households, particularly those living in poverty, depend on natural resources for their wellbeing. They emphasized that natural resource loss, ecosystem degradation and climate change all have gender dimensions and women from poor backgrounds are the most affected.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Ntibi Modise, agreed with the residents and said women disproportionately suffer the impacts of climate change because of inequity associated with cultural norms, and the inequitable distribution of roles, resources and power. He said rural households, particularly those living in poverty, depend on natural resources for their wellbeing.
“Women play a unique role in the stewardship of natural resources, and with their knowledge they can help to develop strategies to adapt to climate-related risks”, said Mr Modise.
Mr Modise thanked the residents of the two districts for coming out in numbers to express their views on the Bill. He was delighted with the turn-out and the support from residents on the Bill during the committee’s public engagement in the Western Cape over the weekend. The committee will now move the public hearings to the Free State province.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT, MR NTIBI MODISE.
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