Address of MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Ms Maggie Govender at the COP17 Roadshow at Ilembe District

The Programme Director, Mr E Cele
The Mayor of Mandeni Municipality, Cllr LNP Shabalala
Inkosi LS Mathonsi
Amakhosi present
Councillors present
Officials from local and provincial government
Residents of Ilembe
All others present and all protocol observed

Good morning to you, it gives me great pleasure to be part of the exciting events that have been happening in your municipality since this morning. You must be wondering what climate change is about? Why are we having the COP 17 conference here in KwaZulu- Natal and not anywhere else in the world? What is the significance of planting 17 trees right here at Sundumbili Primary School?

The 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), serving as the 7^th meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP7), will take place in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011. COP17 is significant in the negotiation process to reach a new agreement, given that the Kyoto Protocol, which commits developed countries to cut their emissions, is set to expire in 2012.

South Africa is ready to welcome the United Nations and 185 world nations to COP17/CMP7 to reach the shared goal of obtaining a legally-binding climate change agreement. You can see alot of people will be coming to KwaZulu-Natal.

• As COP17 host, South Africa will build on the agreements reached during Cop 15 and 16 and strive to lay a solid foundation for the establishment of the post-2012 international climate change regime, fairly addressing the interests of various Parties.

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to sustainable development and demands a legally-binding agreement that takes historical responsibilities into account.

If climate change is not addressed, its impact will undermine the developmental gains that have been made since 1994 and the progress made by South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African continent to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Africa played virtually no role in global warming which was mainly caused by economic activity by industrial countries, but Africa will be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change which include intense drought, famine, disease and floods.

For South Africa, taking meaningful climate action is about seizing the opportunity – to build international competitiveness, new economic infrastructure, sectors and activity; create prosperity and jobs; transform the economy and society; reduce poverty; improve health and quality of life for all.

• As a COP17 participant, South Africa and its key allies in Africa, the Group of 77 (G77) and China and the BASIC countries – South Africa, India, China and Brazil – appeal for an inclusive, fair and effective climate change deal, which is favourable to both developed and developing countries.
• South Africa expects a balance between climate and development initiatives, and calls for a balance between mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Developed countries, which historically were responsible for the current emissions should contribute to the Green Fund to assist developing countries to cope with the double burden of sustainable development and adapting to the effects of climate change.

South Africa is committed to reducing its carbon footprint

In its unwavering commitment to the international community and to the next generation of South Africans, South Africa is committed to contribute its share to the global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

South Africa committed at COP 15 in Copenhagen to reduce its carbon emissions by 34% in 2020 and 42% by 2025, conditional on finance, technology and capacity-building support from the international community.

South Africa ranked 13th in the world for carbon emissions by generating more than 433 000 tons and contributing 1.48% to the global total.

Government is drafting the National Climate Change Response White Paper which will guide all stakeholders – government, business, labour, civil society and individual citizens – to an effective climate change response and the transition to a climate resilient and low-carbon economy and society.

Understanding climate change

What is climate change?

• Climate change is an alteration of the earth’s general weather conditions of which the most prominent change is the rising temperature of the earth’s surface. We all know how hot it has been lately and the terrible storms that have ravaged parts of the province in particular areas like Ndwedwe and Bulwer.
• Climate change happens quicker than in the past and doesn’t leave much time for humanity to adapt
• Apart from increasing average temperature, climate change also includes changes in rainfall patterns and changes in extreme weather events that lead to floods and droughts.
• Climate changed as long as the world has existed. But it changes much quicker nowadays. Therefore it is real and is already with us and various changes resulting from climate change have already been observed including, among many others:
• Measured increases in the average global temperature
• Measured rises in the average global sea level
• Reduced snow cover in the northern hemisphere
• Significantly increased rainfall in eastern parts of North and South America; northern Europe and northern and central Asia
• The frequency of heavy rainfall events has increased over most land areas – consistent with warming and increases of atmospheric water vapour
• More intense and longer droughts observed since the 1970s, particularly in the tropics and subtropics
• Widespread changes in extreme temperatures have been observed
• Cold days, cold nights and frost less frequent
• Hot days, hot nights, and heat waves more frequent.
• In South Africa, surface air temperature has warmed significantly over much of the country since the 1950s.

What is causing the climate to change?

• Increases in the atmospheric concentrations of gases known as greenhouse gases are largely to blame for a steady increase in average global temperatures and this, in turn, is the change of our climate.
• In the main, greenhouse gases are emitted when fossil fuels like coal, oil, petrol, diesel and natural gas are burned.
• Increased industrial activity since the mid eighteenth century has meant a rapid build-up of greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane and nitrous oxide. These gases combine to form a layer in the atmosphere that stops heat escaping. Instead, warmth is reflected back to earth causing the temperature to rise.
• We are 90% certain that the current warming is due to human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.
• Human activities, like chopping down our forests, are also reducing the earth’s natural ability to absorb greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Why should I be worried about climate change?

• If nothing is done about climate change and we keep on, among others, burning fossil fuels and chopping down our forests at current rates, it is predicted that–
• South Africa’s coastal regions will warm by around 1-2°C by about 2050 and around 3-4°C by about 2100.
• South Africa’s interior regions will warm by around 3-4°C by about 2050 and around 6-7°C by about 2100.
• There will be significant changes in rainfall patterns and this, coupled with increased evaporation, will result in significant changes in respect of water availability, e.g. the western side of the country is likely to experience significant reductions in the flow of streams in the region.
• Our biodiversity will be severely impacted, especially the grasslands, fynbos and succulent Karoo where a high level of extinctions are predicted.
• Small scale and homestead farmers in dry lands are most vulnerable to climate change and although intensive irrigated agriculture is better off than these farmers, irrigated lands remain vulnerable to reductions in available water.
• Some predictions suggest that maize production in summer rainfall areas and fruit and cereal production in winter rainfall areas may be badly affected
• Commercial forestry is vulnerable to an increased frequency of wildfires and changes in available water in south-western regions.
• Rangelands are vulnerable to bush encroachment which reduces grazing lands.
• Alien invasive plant species are likely to spread more and have an ever-increasing negative impact on water resources.
• Although strong trends have already been detected in our seas, including rising sea levels and the warming of the Agulhas current and parts of the Benguela, we are not sure yet what impacts this could have on our seas, the creatures living in the seas or on the communities dependant on the sea.
• Because of our already poor health profile, South Africans are specifically vulnerable to new or exacerbated health threats resulting from climate change. For example, some effects of climate change may already be occurring, such as due to rainfall (drought and flood) and temperature extremes and Cholera outbreaks have been associated with extreme weather events, especially in poor, high density settlements.
• There will be an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Damage costs due to extreme weather-related events (flooding, fire, storms and drought) have already been conservatively estimated at being roughly 1 billion rand per year between 2000 and 2009.
• South Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because, among others:
• A large proportion of our population has low resilience to extreme climate events (poverty; high disease burden; inadequate housing infrastructure and location)
• Much of South Africa already has low and variable rainfall
• A significant proportion of our surface water resources are already fully allocated
• Agriculture and fisheries are important for food security and local livelihoods
• Although the poor are only minor contributors to climate change, they are the most vulnerable and, hence, will be the most impacted.

What is the impact of climate change on Africa?

• Africa had played virtually no role in global warming which was mainly caused by the economic activity of the industrial countries, but Africa will be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change which include intense droughts, famine, disease and floods.
• Arid or semi-arid areas in northern, western, eastern and parts of southern Africa are becoming drier, while equatorial Africa and other parts of southern Africa are getting wetter.
• The continent is already warming faster than the global average and that people living there can expect more intense droughts, floods and storm surges. Northern and southern Africa are likely to become as much as 4°C hotter over the next 100 years.
• Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its overdependence on rain-fed agriculture. A reduction in agricultural activity could cause an unprecedented threat to food security on the continent.
• Vector- and water-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera may increase.
• Hunger on the continent could increase dramatically in the short term as droughts and desertification increase, and climate change affects water supplies.
• An increase in droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and disruption of seasonal weather patterns, will cause an increase in environmental refugees.
• Climate change holds a major threat to sustainable growth and development in Africa and also threatens progress made in poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS). Poor communities, children, women and small scale farmers are likely to be the most affected by the effects of climate change because they are unlikely to respond to the direct and indirect effects of climate change because of limited financial, human and institutional capacity.

What is our government doing about climate change?

• South Africa ranked 13^th in the world for carbon emissions by generating more than 433,000 tons and contributing 1.48% to the global total.
• Government recognised that climate change was real and that it was a significant threat to our development many years ago and this was formally acknowledged during the National Climate Change Conference in 2005.
• In 2008, government announced that it would develop a national climate change response policy that would, among others:
• Map a socio-economic transition to a climate resilient and low-carbon economy and society
• This transition to a climate resilient and low-carbon economy and society will involve a balance between our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases (mitigation) and our efforts to build our resilience to the impacts of climate change (adaptation)
• In the long-term, we will redefine our competitive advantage and structurally transform the economy by shifting from an energy-intensive to a climate-friendly path as part of a pro-growth, pro-development and pro-jobs strategy
• Our climate response policy will be informed by what the scientists believe is necessary to limit global temperature increase to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
• We will continue to pro-actively build the knowledge base and our capacity to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change, most importantly by enhancing early warning and disaster reduction systems and in the roll-out of basic services, infrastructure planning, agriculture, biodiversity, water resource management and in the health sector
• Our greenhouse gas emissions must peak, plateau and decline - stop growing at the latest by 2020-2025, stabilise for up to ten years, then decline in absolute terms
• Our efforts will constitute a fair and meaningful contribution to the global efforts, demonstrating leadership in the multi-lateral system by committing to a“substantial deviation from baseline”, enabled by international funding and technology
• In 2010, government released the draft climate change response policy for public comment and this policy is expected to be completed by mid 2011
• Government regards climate change as one of the greatest threats to sustainable development. Government also believes that climate change, if un-mitigated, also has the potential to undo or undermine many of the positive advances made in meeting South Africa’s own development goals and the Millennium Development Goals.
• Government also acknowledges that:
• The stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous human interference with the climate system will require the efficient international implementation of an effective and binding global agreement on, among others, greenhouse gas emission reductions;
• That, together with all the other countries responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions and considering its developing country status, South Africa, as a responsible global citizen, is committed to reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions in order to successfully facilitate the agreement and implementation of an effective and binding global agreement on, among others, greenhouse gas emission reductions;
• That notwithstanding the impact of any global agreement, South Africa will have to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change through the management of risk and the reduction of vulnerability; and
• That although there will be costs associated with South Africa’s greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts, there will also be significant short and long-term social and economic benefits, including improved international competitiveness that will result from a transition to a low carbon economy. Furthermore, that these costs will be far less than the costs of delay and inaction.
• The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2010) aspires to cut the country’s coal generated electricity from 90% to 48% by 2030.
• Nuclear energy will contribute 16% of the South African energy mix by 2030 which is seen as sustainable energy source. Our nuclear building programme will be benchmarked against the highest global safety standards.
• South Africa’s New Growth Path aims to build of new green economic sectors, create decent jobs, grow our economy and develop international economic competitiveness.
• Industry and infrastructure development programmes are ensuring the long-term sustainability of natural systems and the environment. Our transport industry has already started reducing the country’s carbon footprint by introducing a carbon tax policy.
• Government will continue to engage actively and meaningfully in international climate change negotiations, specifically the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations, in order to secure a binding, multi-lateral international agreement that will effectively limit the average global temperature increase to at least below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and that is:
• inclusive, fair and effective;
• has a balance between adaptation and mitigation responses;
• has an appropriate development - climate response balance; and
• is based on the recognition that solving the climate problem will only be possible if it is undertaken within the context of developing countries' priority of achieving poverty eradication and promoting development.

What can I do about climate change?

• Do not build your house in areas that may be at risk from the impacts of severe weather events like floods and storm surges (big waves) – climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather-related events (flooding, fire, storms and drought).
• Use your own muscle power whenever and where-ever possible, e.g. walk or cycle rather than using a taxi or car – emissions from transport are one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases.
• Use public transport whenever and where-ever possible – emissions from transport are one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases.
• Think carefully about your personal transport choices – big, heavy gas-guzzlers are not climate friendly – emissions from transport are one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases.
• Plant indigenous trees – trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe.
• Recycle – recycling paper also saves trees and reduces the energy used in paper manufacturing.
• Use energy saving bulbs such as compact fluorescent lights (CFL) or, better still, light emitting diode (LED) lights – CFL and LEDs use far less energy than incandescent globes and thus reduce your greenhouse gas emissions
• Do not let water run while shaving, brushing teeth or washing vegetables – our water security is threatened by climate change and energy is used to pump and purify water.
• Catch rainwater for use in the garden – our water security is threatened by climate change and energy is used to pump and purify water
• Save electricity. Turn off lights when you do not need them, fit a solar water heater, use gas for cooking, insulate your house –– reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and save on your electricity bill.
• At COP 17, countries will also have to design institutions that can provide developing countries with "adequate and efficient climate support."
• As an African developing country, South Africa will use the opportunity afforded by COP17/CMP7 to showcase the way in which climate change impacts on the country and continent, as well as the responses being implemented.

This now brings me to what we are doing at a local level, our government has various projects in your district, which are:

The Lihlithemba Wetland and Nursery project in Ndwedwe Local Municipality – this is a 3 year project and entails the maintenance, control and removal of alien invasive plants.

The Greening of Low income homes has seen the planting of 1 fruit tree and 1 shade tree to protect the low income houses from wind and reduces the impact of noise pollution. It also increases the biodiversity of the area and beautifies the environment. The fruit trees will provide fruit for years to come. The Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development has planted 4 944 trees in KwaDukuza and Mandeni as part of its Greening Program.

The Eco Schools Project – there are 16 schools which have been registered and these schools are supported with resources, advice and capacity building by educator workshops etc. This morning we visited Sundumbili Senior Primary school where we have planted 17 indigenous trees symbolic of COP 17. On site at the school there is a weather monitoring station that monitors the weather patterns in the area.

I now also want to tell you what my Department of Human Settlements and the Department of Public Worksare doing to mitigate the factors of climate change.

Recently we visited KZN’s First Green Building and possibly a first in the country, which is under construction. The Department of Public Works is building the Ixopo District Offices and has registered this building with the Green Building Council of South Africa for a Green Star rating. The features of this building include a roof garden with over 70 species of indigenous plants to attract birds and insects and maintain the biodiversity of the area. There are solar panels on the roofs which in turn heat the water harvested from the rain. This water is used as under floor heating. The design of the building takes into consideration the sunlight and the window panels are double panelled to trap the sunlight thereby reducing our reliance on using electricity to light the offices. There are jojo tanks on site to harvest the rain water and all grey water is collected and recycled to be used for the sanitation of the building. The contractors and labourers on site will be accredited as “green contractors and labourers”.

The KZN Greening programme led by the KZN Office of the Premier focuses on greening activities through employment creation for unskilled people. TheDepartment of Public Works is coordinating the programme in the province.

The programme is an ideal Public Private Partnership (PPP) which involves the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, Public Works, Economic Development and Tourism, Human Settlement and Msunduzi and eThekwini Municipality. More institutions are still being engaged to become partners in the KZN Integrated Greening Programme.

The programme aims to:

• “Tree-preneurs” – growing and planting indigenous and edible plants
• “Waste-preneurs” – collecting recyclable waste
• “Green-preneurs” – trading bicycles, water tanks, solar energy devices
• Reforestation projects, restoring community forest assets

One thousand three hundred and ninety five (1 395) people have been employed to participate in the programme between April and September 2011. Of these jobs 1 027 are occupied by women, 590 youth and 06 people with disabilities.

• 64 000 trees have been planted and 30 000 is in uMgungundlovu and 34 000 within the Zululand District Municipality.
• 238 602 kg’s of Waste has been collected and recycled by Waste-preneurs in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality and this has an associated barter value of R93, 556 that went to participants.
• 169 148 trees have been propagated across the KwaZulu-Natal province; and
• 23 800 hectares have been secured in terms of the Protected Area management Act.

An amount of R1,999, 241 has been spent already on stipends between April and September 2011.

The Department of Human Settlements has embarked on installing jojo tanks in all rural housing projects for the harvesting of rain water. This will assist in cooking, cleaning etc. We are also ensuring that in areas prone to lightning, that lighting conductors are installed to protect the homes and residents living in the area.

Some of you may have seen the low cost homes which now come fitted with solar panel heaters. These solar heaters heat the water in the geysers and r greatly reduces the electricity costs of a household.

Today I would like to part knowing that I have given you alot of information to help you make important decisions when it comes to looking after our planet and sustaining our livelihoods. As our theme for the conference goes “Taking care of tomorrow today”, I urge all of you to play your part.

Thank you.