By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George confirmed that the work of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group under South Africa’s G20 presidency had concluded, while the publishing of the new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is imminent.
George was addressing delegates in a stakeholder engagement session in Sandton on October 20.
The stakeholder consultation was attended by various stakeholders including representatives from the business community, youth formations, labour, civil society as well as representatives from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).
The minister said, South Africa’s NDC is aligned with the country’s Climate Change Act and aims to balance environmental integrity with social justice, ensuring the transition to a low-carbon economy is inclusive.
The Conference of Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will mark ten years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the five-year mark to achieve the 2030 deadline for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
COP 30 will take place in Belém, Brazil from 10-21 November 2025.
It is expected that many countries will be submitting updated NDCs this year, which are the commitments that will determine whether global warming is limited to 1.5 ˚C above preindustrial levels.
George anticipated ambitious outcomes to be announced at the conference, in respect of the Sharm el-Sheikh Mitigation Ambition and the United Arab Emirates Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), both of which aim to advance low-carbon development pathways and practical cooperation between developed and developing countries.
Climate adaptation remains a top priority for Africa. We are already feeling the effects of a changing climate through extreme rainfall, flooding and unseasonal snowfall.
“Our adaptation goals focus on water and sanitation infrastructure, disaster risk management and climate-related health systems, food security, resilient human settlements, early warning systems, ecosystem restoration and capacity building across all spheres of government, “George explained.
While the delegation attending COP30 will be downsized this year, with the National Business Initiative having confirmed there will be no pavilion this year, some of the key outcomes that the South African delegation will monitor include that the new Global Goal on Adaptation is finalised through the Belém Work Programme.
George said South Africa supported a concise set of indicators, about 100 of them, to measure progress and to ensure developing countries received the means of implementation they required.
Additionally, because climate finance remained central to meaningful action, the Minister said COP30 should advance the New Collective Quantified Goal adopted at COP29 and the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap. These initiatives aim to mobilise $1.3-trillion a year in funding for climate change-related development by 2035.
“We expect the COP30 presidency to present a well-consulted plan that addresses the barriers that developing countries face in accessing climate finance,” George said.