Honourable Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize;
Executive Mayor of the City of eThekwini, Councillor James Nxumalo;
Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Councillor Kgosientso Ramakgopa;
Chairperson of the Friends of Environment, General Bantu Holomisa,
Managing Director of BMW South Africa, Mr Bodo Donauer
Ladies and gentlemen;
It fills me with a great pride to be with you this afternoon, while our negotiators are engaged in the climate change talks - 17th Conference of Parties (COP17).
The South African government is alive to the fact that we must all work together as be part of the international quest that seeks to address climate change at a multilateral structure like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The science is clear that action to address the causes and impacts of climate change by a single country or small group of countries will not be successful, hence we support all the efforts that promote multilateral efforts to arrest this increase in temperatures.
In the same breath, addressing climate change related challenges is not the responsibility of government alone; it requires business and society in general to work together.
We recognise the role private sector should play in ensuring that our drive towards a low-carbon economy recognises private sector as an integral part of the attainment of that dispensation.
We are always encouraged by efforts of private sector organisations like the work done by BMW to scale up levels of investments that contribute towards transitioning to a low carbon development and our vision of a green economy.
The green economy path is not just about low-carbon, it is also about the reduction of resource usage, waste and the valuing of the ecosystem goods and services.
Since your arrival in South Africa as BMW, you have been a valuable contributor to the South African economy and part of the fabric of our society.
As we start the journey to transition towards low carbon intense economy, we are glad to hear you stand ready to be a part of that future.
As government, we also must commend BMW for having decided some time ago that the BMW Group needs to keep a firm hand on its consumption of energy, as well as the impact that consumption has on the environment.
Our Climate Change Policy recognises that in the medium-term, some of the options with the biggest mitigation potential include the shifting to lower-carbon electricity generation options that recognise that as both a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and effective climate change response actions, lower-carbon products and services and the creation of green jobs, business and industry have a fundamental role in South Africa’s climate change response.
Thus, government will continue to forge and maintain effective partnerships with business and industry to ensure that their capacity is harnessed in driving the transition to a climate-resilient, equitable and internationally competitive, lower-carbon economy and society.
Government also recognises the importance of private sector funding in achieving national climate change response actions and will work with the financial sector to explore the most appropriate mechanisms to achieve efficient funding flows.
Government will also continue to encourage voluntary reporting initiatives established and maintained by a variety of organised business associations.
Ladies and gentlemen, we stand ready to work with you as BMW South Africa to ensure that we now step outside of the policy-mode and get the tyre to hit the tar.
I thank you.
