Department of Environmental Affairs Strategic Plan & Budget, Climate change preparations

NCOP Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy

06 June 2011
Chairperson: Ms A Qikani(ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Department of Environmental Affairs presented its strategic plans and budget for 2011, noting at the outset that the 2007 State of the Environment Report had demonstrated that South Africa’s environment was deteriorating, and setting out the main reasons, and suggested solutions to the problem. Particular problem areas included poor air-quality, the need to concentrate on producing less waste and doing more recycling, the impact of mining, including the need to deal with derelict mines, and to align sustainability criteria. The over-exploitation of natural resources and wetlands must be addressed by better and more restoration, rehabilitation and conservation programmes. There was also a need to boost environmental applied research capacity, and better partnership and stakeholder strategies would be required. The links between the work of the Department and the priorities of government were outlined. The Department would be placing emphasis on compliance and enforcement, support to local government, establishing links between climate change, the green economy and sustainable development and dealing with climate change issues and the Response to the White Paper. The role that the Department played in achieving the Millennium Development Goals was also outlined, as well as its cooperation with other departments. It was noted that the National Resources Management Programme was transferred from Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to DEA. The budget allocations were set out, which noted a total budget of R2.8 billion for 2011, of which R223 million was allocated to climate change, with the COP17 allocations amounting to R200 million. The programme priorities and individual allocations were also described.

The Department then gave a high-level briefing on the technical aspects of climate change, including the contributors to climate change, and set out a number of tables showing South Africa’s greenhouse gas profile, the sectors with the most significant emissions, how South Africa compared to other countries and temperature trends. Agricultural subsectors were the most sensitive to climate change, particularly since maize, fruit and cereal production could be adversely affected by changing climates. Commercial forestry and marine environments were also vulnerable. The Department then described the lead up to the Conference of Parties, setting out the main issues discussed in the negotiating sessions in Bangkok, and the main disagreements on the impact. The parties had eventually realised that there would need to be compromises, and new sectoral approaches and the need for recognition of countries in transition were added. It was accepted that there was “no legally binding final agreed outcome” as yet, but that an incremental approach needed to be followed. Issues would be clustered for discussion. The Department’s role in the organisation and preparation of COP 17 was set out.

Members felt that the presentation was too general, and commented that they would have liked to have been given more examples of projects in each province, asked what was being done about soil erosion and what targets were set for tackling ocean and coastal pollution. They asked why the departments dealing with water, environmental affairs and mining were not achieving better coordination, particularly when approving mining contracts. They asked why so many top management positions were still vacant. They asked for a presentation on the long-term energy plans for South Africa. The answers were requested in writing.

Meeting report

Department of Environmental Affairs Strategic plan & budget 2011 Briefing
Ms Lize McCourt, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Environmental Affairs, outlined the vision, mission and values of the Department of Environmental Affairs (the Department or DEA) and its legislative framework. She outlined that the 2007 State of the Environment Report had demonstrated that South Africa’s environment was deteriorating. She tabled specific problems contributing to this, and the suggested solutions.

South Africa continued to rely heavily on fossil fuels, and was one of the world’s 20 biggest greenhouse gas emitters. Ozone depletion resulted in high radiation levels of ultra violet B. In order to improve the situation, South Africa would have to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Moreover, the government would have to invest in renewable energy, and take steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Exposure to unsafe ambient pollutants, and poor air-quality contributing to health problems, particularly in the low income and dense settlements was a problem that would need to be addressed by reduction of atmospheric pollutants and the continued roll out of the Cleaner Fires Campaign. Poor waste management and lack of access to waste services meant that South Africa needed to concentrate on producing less waste, through recycling, and to improve collections and disposal. The impact of mining also had to be taken into account and management of environmental problems included the need not only to address current activities but also the rehabilitation and proper closure of abandoned and derelict mines. Land degradation and soil erosion undermined production potential and greater alignment of sustainability criteria was required.

She recognised that over-exploitation of natural resources and wetlands, water quality, waste water pollution of the marine environment, exploitation of the ocean, coastal development, and stagnation in applied environmental research were also problems faced by the DEA. In order to address this, the Department needed to restore and rehabilitate degraded systems, protect and restore wetlands, increase the numbers of wetlands rehabilitated, protect coastal environments, and marine ecosystems. Environmental applied research capacity had stagnated over the last ten years, and this was a major problem requiring integrated and innovative approaches to natural resource management. She suggested that research and development partnership strategies needed to be established. 

 Ms McCourt then outlined the top strategic priorities of the DEA. It would have to support local government in areas relating to air quality, waste management, coastal planning and open space planning and ensure that the allocated budgets were sufficient. Governance systems for mining and integrated permitting must be in line with government outcomes. Compliance and enforcement would be concentrating on health waste, rhino poaching and environmental impact assessments (EIAs). It was necessary to establish links between climate change, the green economy and sustainable development. Climate change issues were important in the lead up to and after the Conference of Parties in Durban (COP17). International and national stakeholder engagements were ongoing.

The specific goals from 2011 to 2016 were outlined (see attached presentation for details). She emphasised that DEA’s vision and goals must be correlated with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). She outlined that the specific indicators for this, included in the Department’s strategic plan, were protection of species threatened with extinction, decreasing the unlicensed waste disposal sites, climate change mitigation policies and an increase in conservation lands. She then touched upon the Government’s main strategic framework priorities, noting that the DEA would contribute to speeding up growth and transformation of the economy by facilitating jobs in the green sector. Improved EIA processes would assist the programme to build social and economic infrastructure, and environmental assets would contribute to rural development, whilst the DEA would also cooperate in resolving post-settlement claims and post-settlement support. It would cooperate with the Department of Education to continuously support the environmental curricula, with the Department of Health in respect of air and waste management, and with the Department of Justice and South African Police Service in addressing poaching activities and non-compliance with environmental laws. Its work in fostering a global sustainable development agenda would help with the African Continent growth.


Ms McCourt stated that on 01 April 2011 the National Resources Management Programme (NRMP) was transferred from Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to DEA. This was a labour-intensive programme with key focus on poverty relief and job creation, through implementation of environmental projects. Its sub programmes included Working for Water and Working on Fire.

Ms McCourt tabled the budget allocations, noting that the budget for the year 2011 was R2.8 billion. She noted that the budget for climate change in 2011 was R223 million, and about R200 million was allocated to COP 17. In the following years the budget for climate change would drop to R24.4 million in 2012, and R25.8 million in 2013.

Ms Ester Makau, Chief Financial Officer, DEA, went through the more detailed budget allocations, per programme (see attached document for full information). She explained that the Polar Vessel was one of the main budgetary priorities for oceans and coasts in 2011/12. In the Biodiversity and Conservation programmes, the increase in allocation of R10 million was to combat poaching and other violent environmental crimes.

Ms Makau then briefly outlined the strategic objectives of the DEA’s programmes.  Programme 1 (Administration and Support) aimed at achieving equitable and sound governance, improved access to information, adequately and appropriately skilled staff and a secure, harmonious and conducive work environment, together with an efficient information and technology service and effective legal support. For Programme 2 (Environment quality and Protection) DEA aimed to have improved compliance with environmental legislation, less waste that was better managed, to prevent or manage the potential negative impacts of all significant developments, and to achieve cleaner, healthier air quality. Under Programme 3 (Oceans and Coasts) DEA aimed to effectively manage protection and conservation of the ocean, utilising scientific evidence, and to recognise the value-add of stakeholders. The strategic objectives of Programme 4 (Climate Change) included the enhanced adaptive capacity, resilience and reduced vulnerability to climate change impacts, the facilitation of a climate change mitigation programme, and the successful hosting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP 17 and the Kyoto Protocol CMP7. The strategic objectives of Programme 5 (Biodiversity and Conservation) included mitigating the threats to biodiversity, and achieving better conservation through better use and regulation of biological resources and improved compliance with legislation. Programme 6 (International Relations) aimed to enhance international governance, instruments and agreements supportive of South African environmental and sustainable development priorities.

Finally she noted that 100% of the Presidential hotline queries were processed within three days. The Ministerial public awareness and participation events targets were exceeded.

Climate Change briefing
Mr Peter Lukey, Deputy Director General: Climate Change, DEA, gave a high-level introduction to technical aspects of climate change. He firstly explained the greenhouse effect and carbon cycle. He then outlined what was increasing the effect of climate change, both natural and anthropogenic forces. He stated that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had signed off its report in 2007, and that it was accepted that global warming was an established fact, observed through global average air and ocean temperatures, melting of ice and rising global sea levels. He then tabled pie charts of South Africa’s greenhouse gas profile (including the contributions of energy emissions and fuel combustion energy industries), and an indication of how South Africa compared to other countries in the carbon intensity of gross domestic product (GDP). Temperature trends, predictions of rises by 1 to 2 degrees in coastal regions, by 2050, and of three to four degrees in interior regions by 2050, were given. The impacts of agriculture and biodiversity were set out. It was noted that the agricultural subsectors were the most sensitive to climate change, and small scale and homestead dryland farmers were the most vulnerable. Those with irrigation were currently buffered, but were vulnerable to water resource constraints. Maize production in summer rainfall areas, and fruit and cereal production in winter rainfall areas, was likely to be significantly adversely affected. Commercial forestry was vulnerable to increased frequency of wildfires, and rangelands were vulnerable to bush encroachment. Indigenous biodiversity also faced threats. Alien invasive plant species posed a challenge in greater spread and impact on water resources. The marine environment would likely be affected by rising sea levels, and the Agulhas and Benguela current warming. When there were floods and other extreme weather events, disease, including malaria and cholera, was more likely to take hold. Economic damage from extreme weather-events was estimated at R1 billion a year between 2000 and 2009.

Climate change issues in the lead-up to COP 17
Mr Lukey then gave an outline of the substantive content issues in the lead up to the Durban conference in May 2011. Prior to this, there had formal negotiating sessions in Bangkok following other informal meetings, as well as intensive bilateral consultations. Many disagreements emerged in Bangkok, particularly whether the decision made in Cancun set a new agenda for the future negotiations, or was merely another development that would include a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and the addition of more countries to the original Convention. In the end a compromise was reached, which set a new agenda for a shared vision, adaptation, mitigation, financing, technology and capacity building. It was clear that countries would have to cooperate in order for the climate change crisis to be resolved. New sectoral approaches were added, and the needs of countries in transition – such as Russia – were also recognised. However, there was no resolution on whether the Kyoto Protocol would continue, the treatment of certain aspects, including trade and equity and there was also no review of whether the global mitigation effects would be adequate enough. The views of various groupings and countries were set out (see attached presentation for full details. Finally, it was accepted that there was “no legally binding final agreed outcome” as yet, but that an incremental approach needed to be followed.

Mr Lukey outlined the main challenges that faced the parties (see attached presentation for details). He noted that the proposed strategies were that the incoming Presidency of the COP was mandated to conduct inclusive and transparent consultations, and to use this mandate to build parallel processes linked to formal negotiations. It was recommended that issues be clustered, and he gave an indication (see presentation) of how this could be done, together with the time frames.

Mr Lukey then outlined the DEA’s role in the organisation and preparation for the Conference of Parties COP 17. He stated that the five key priorities to COP17 were to agree upon the South African negotiating position, to deal with the National Climate Change response to the White Paper, to deal with South Africa’s second National Communication. It was also necessary to address COP 17 Greening and Legacy Projects, and to deal with the public climate change outreach and mobilisation programme

He emphasised that DEA would support Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) with the organisation of COP 17. He stated that the influx of people during the COP summit would exacerbate South Africa’s greenhouse emissions. DEA would therefore use COP to showcase South Africa’s commitment to controlling climate change. It was vital to raise awareness through the use of media campaigns on television, radio, and internet, and educate individuals what they could do to mitigate. The DEA would enable ordinary citizens to voice their opinions to the Minister. He then briefly described the reasons why the COP was to be hosted in South Africa, and briefly described the venue, participants and hosting plans.

Discussion
Mr L Makhubela (COPE, Limpopo) criticised the presentation as too general, without entering into the specifics. He would have liked to have seen more examples of projects in each province. He was concerned that the issues of soil erosion, mine pollution and other weather phenomena that affected Limpopo were not discussed.

Mr Makhubela asked why so many of the top management positions were still vacant and why there were so many acting officials. 

Mr D Worth (DA, Free State) wanted to know why the Department of Water, Environmental Affairs and Mineral Resources did not coordinate their activities and consideration of mining contracts. He provided examples of mining sites that had been zoned without any environmental impact assessment or water management plans. This had caused high levels of acidity in the water in the mines.

Mr Worth also wanted the Department to present the long term energy plans for South Africa, including nuclear or hydro-electric sources.

The Chairperson asked what the Department was doing to control soil erosion in Northern and Eastern Cape. She also enquired how the Department would deal with the shortfall of funding for the COP.

The Chairperson commented that although broad comments were made about tackling ocean and coastal pollution, no real targets were set.

Owing to time constraints, the Chairperson asked the Department to forward the answers, in writing, by Friday 10 June 2011.

The meeting was adjourned,

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