Environmental Affairs Strategic Plan 2012/13 & Millennium Development Goals progress

Meeting Summary

The Department of Environmental Affairs presented the overview of the Strategic Plan and highlighted the new units of Environmental Advisory Services and Climate Change and Air Quality.

Members expressed excitement about the changes within the Department saying that the new structure made it more agile and that its narrower focus meant it could go deeper into the environmental issues. As far as progress on the Millennium Development Goals, the country was making progress and commitment was further marked by the acceptance of the low carbon trajectory and moving towards the path of peak plateau and decline for carbon emissions. The only issues facing the Department which threatened its good standing in terms of the administration was the Department of Water Affairs transfer of functions. The absence of the asset register gave the Department a red rating in terms of the Auditor General’s three principles of clean administration. Some Members agreed with the red rating saying the DEA should not be held responsible for something the Department of Water Affairs should be accountable for. The Department would continue presentations of other areas in the coming week.