Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Pierre Uys, on new initiative
to reduce greenhouse gasses
3 April 2009
The Western Cape Provincial Government is committed to dealing with climate
change. A special mechanism has been established to deal with carbon emissions
that aim at adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change, and is the
latest step towards a more environmentally friendly province.
The Western Cape Provincial Government cabinet has approved the
establishment of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) desk. This innovation
has been unveiled by Premier Lynne Brown and Minister of Local Government,
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Pierre Uys, today at the
Kirstenbosch gardens.
Minister Uys says âthe establishment of the CDM desk in the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning will have many positive benefits
for the province. We are proud to be able to improve our environment for future
use by the generations to come. We take climate change seriously and prepare
for it in a responsible and prudent way. Therefore the global stabilisation of
greenhouse gasses is important.
We are taking practical steps to adapt and mitigate the results of climate
change and explore new opportunities and exciting possibilities. This mechanism
can also bring new money, technologies, industries, skills and jobs to the
province. The Western Cape leads with this innovation and will assist other
provinces with the establishment of the same there. We are doing it in
conjunction with our national Department of Minerals and Energy,â says Minister
Uys.
The Clean Development Mechanism was founded under international agreement
(Kyoto Protocol) to provide for industrialised countries to engage in carbon
reducing projects in developing countries on behalf and for the credit of the
developed countries. Carbon credits can be traded in currency or kind.
Minister Uys says these partnerships across international borders will
benefit both countries, while they reduce their carbon footprints.
The CDM desk will assist with sustainable and clean development that is
affordable and relevant to ordinary people and communities in the host
country.
The CDM desk will assist project developers to improve the chances of their
projects to be registered for the province. It will fine tune, add value and
act as a recognised agent to assist with easier passage through a very
complicated process and to explore projects or other initiatives.
The Western Cape CDM Desk will facilitate the smooth registration of CDM
projects with the national department and assist individuals, second economy
stakeholders, communities, companies and government institutions to comply with
the various mandatory steps.
It will assist in assessing, facilitating and co-ordinating project
applications favoured by donors and municipalities. In short, the CDM desk
will, after the public calls for expressions of interest and proposals, compile
a detailed database of clean development service providers, project engineers
and renewable energy innovation. Projects registered as CDM projects are
required to illustrate clear and definitive seamless partnerships among
communities, local governments, provincial, regional or national governments
and international funding or technology partners.
The province will benefit from the vast potential revenue from CDM projects
if appropriate projects are rolled out.
Economic growth could be stimulated, new foreign currency invested in the
province and new jobs created with the assistance of the Western Cape CDM
desk.
Our government welcomes every effort to reduce carbon emissions, but also
those that would stimulate our regional economy and assist in reducing poverty
by creating more jobs. I wish this venture all of the best, Premier Brown
says.
Enquiries:
Cobus Grobler
Cell: 073 133 7299
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning, Western Cape Provincial Government
3 April 2009
