By Blessing Manale
2025 follows hot on the heels of a deadly 2024 characterised by natural disasters and severe weather events with significant impacts on lives and livelihoods.
Without claim to any other wisdom, 2025 looks destined for the same amidst a peculiar domestic and geopolitical environment.
Many South Africans believe that in 2025, they will still be unemployed and with limited access to basic services like sanitation, clean water, and electricity, and increasing vulnerability compounded the risks and impacts of climate change.
Driving globlal ambition and enabling local action
As a signatory of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), South Africa is required to submit an update to its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) this year, outlining how our plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to meet the global goal of limiting temperature rise.
There is a raging national debate on the level of ambition required for the update of the NDCs in a manner that strengthens and unlocks sustainable industrial development and economic growth beyond climate action global target compliance.
It is essential that our NDC which we will submit to the UNFCCC , this year as led by the Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment ( DFFE) does not fail the people, mostly impacted by climate change, particularly those that do not have the means to deal with the impacts of climate change or to recover from climate-related disasters that impacts their lives, livelihoods, and communities.
Now, more than ever, decisive outcomes and actions are required from the multilateral and plurilateral governance and cooperation ecosystem and platforms to assist countries, particularly developing countries, to mitigate against and adapt to the impacts of climate change and the scourge of hunger and poverty.
And for us, as a country to move forward, we must in 2025 deepen dialogues with and amongst all social partners on what should be contained within the NDC as South Africa.
Improving climate response measures
It is clear that delaying action on the matter of climate change will hit poor communities hardest.
Yet the pace of action, investment, and finance is out of step with the urgency indicated by science and the daily experiences of those impacted.
It is almost a year since President Ramaphosa announced that the government has decided to establish a Climate Change Response Fund (CCRF) to bring together the government and the private sector in a collaborative effort to resource our response to the impacts of climate change.
Last year, the National Treasury, DFFE led by the PCC, collaborated in developing the broad framework of the CCRF as a mechanism to prioritise climate adaptation in South Africa, addressing critical financing gaps for a low-carbon, climate-resilient transition.
Such a framework should be in recognition that the one fund cannot plan, coordinate, fund, and support all just transition projects and programmes, and achieve net zero and climate-resilient futures.
We are in the final period of this crucial decade, and miles behind in achieving the stipulated targets.
In 2025, we must breathe life into the CCRF and position it as a hallmark redefinition of the South African fiscal environment based on a balanced, equitable approach to climate action and further its rationale, financial strategy, governance model, and implementation plan with the active participation and buy-in from both the public and private sectors.
Just transition in the national dialogue to enhance climate action
As the country works to reduce its carbon footprint, it must also ensure that this shift does not disproportionately affect the most vulnerable – those who depend on industries like coal mining for their livelihoods.
In South Africa’s pursuit of a social compact to rally behind our decarbonisation, the role of social dialogue is particularly significant.
South Africa’s Just Transition to a low-carbon economy will require unprecedented levels of cooperation between government, business, and labour.
The complexities of the transition, from ensuring energy security to creating new jobs in green industries will demand open, transparent, and inclusive dialogue.
By bringing together voices from all sectors of society, the PCC will ensure that the concerns of affected communities, workers, and businesses are heard and addressed.
Through social dialogue, we should garner the buy-in and consensus on the implementation of economic, social and environmental policies needed for achieving our decarbonisation targets.
Last year, The Presidential Climate Commission released the first State of Climate Action Report which communicated a compelling message for the Government of National Unity (GNU) and all stakeholders that while we have strong commitments and public support for climate action and facilitating a just transition, progress is not yet at the pace and scale required – The PCC’s report provided several suggestions and recommendations –And that should be our pre-occupation in 2025.
Blessing Manale is the acting Executive Director, and Head of Communications of the Presidential Climate Commission.
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