PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES PUBLIC HEARINGS ON CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLIC HEARING 22-23 RD SEPTEMBER IN CAPE TOWN.

PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES PUBLIC HEARINGS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

PUBLIC HEARING 22-23RD SEPTEMBER IN CAPE TOWN

ISSUES• SOUTH AFRICA AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO CO2 EMISSIONS AND RANKED

13TH IN THE WORLD

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AFRICA / SOUTH AFRICA

• HOW CAN SA MITIGATE AND ADAPT NOTING THIS FACT AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE SEEING IN AFRICA AND SOUTH AFRICA

• CONCERNS ON THE INDC’S DISCUSSION DOCUMENT

• KEY STRATEGIC AREAS – POTENTIAL FOR JUST TRANSITION/ LOCALISATION/ GREEN ECONOMY

• WATER

• ENERGY

• HEALTH & FOOD SECURITY

SUBMISSION BY COSATU

• SOUTH AFRICA IS THE 13TH HIGHEST CONTRIBUTOR TO GHG EMISSIONS LARGELY DUE TO OUR HISTORICAL AND ONGOING DEPENDENCY ON COAL

• AS SUCH THE CHANGES WE SEE IN OUR OWN CLIMATE –WEATHER PATTERNS, RAINFALL OR LACK THEREOF, RANGES IN TEMPERATURE, UNSEASONAL CHARACTERISTICS, INCREASE IN FOOD PRICES, RETRENCHMENTS, UNEMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION AND SO FORTH MUST NOT BE SEEN IN ISOLATION OF THESE EVENTS. (AT A LOCAL LEVEL) AND AT A REGIONAL AND CONTINENT LEVEL

• NOTING THIS FACT SOUTH AFRICA HAS TO BE CREATIVE IN ITS APPROACH TO ADDRESSING ITS GHG EMISSIONS IN ORDER TO MITIGATE AGAINST THESE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES IN AFRICA AND SADC MORE SPECIFICALLY.

• THE VIEW TOWARDS SADC SHOULD NOT BE TO SOLVE THE CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEMS THAT SOUTH AFRICA HAS CONTRIBUTED TO, BUT RATHER, ENGAGE SADC PROACTIVELY IN A WAY THAT ADDRESS BOTH THE CONSEQUENCES CAUSED BY SA CHOICES AND DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES- WHICH ARE SUSTAINABLE FOR SA , THE REGION AND THE CONTINENT

INDC’S

• THE DEA NOTING THE UPCOMING COP 21 HAS BEEN HOLDING PROVINCIAL CONSULTANCIES WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS TO OBTAIN INPUT ON THE INDC’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED COMMITMENTS.

• WE WOULD LIKE TO TABLE THE FACT THAT DESPITE GOING THROUGH AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS WITH DEA WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS- THE TIME WAS RUSHED- AND EVEN TIME TO INCORPORATE THE COMMENTS MADE BY VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT

• CAN WE INSIST THAT DEA’S CONSULTATION PROCESS WITH CSO’S LABOUR AND ALL INTERESTED PARTIES WHOSE INTERESTS THEY WILL BE NEGOTIATING AT COP21 BE COGNISANT OF THIS FACT AND THAT PROCESS GOING FORWARD DEMONSTRATES A TRUE COMMITMENT TO ENGAGEMENT AND NOT MERELY TICKING THE BOXES

• ON THE CONTENT- THE DOCUMENT LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED

• IT SO VAGUE AND LACKS SUBSTANCE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE AND AS A RESULT CAN BE VERY, VERY, DANGEROUS – ESPECIALLY AT COP21 IF INTERPRETATIONS THAT DO NOT RESONATE WITH US AS STAKEHOLDERS ARE INFERRED.

• COSATU’S NEED TO HAVE THOROUGH DISCUSSION WITH ALL RELEVANT GOVERNMENT PARTNERS ON THE DETERMINING THE TRAJECTORY TOWARDS ACHIEVING A “JUST TRANSITION” CURRENTLY COP21 NEGOTIATIONS AND DRAFTED TEXT HAVE DOWN PLAYED THE MEANING OF JUST TRANSITION FOR LABOUR AND WE WANT TO GOVERNMENT TO STAND FIRM ON THE ITUC AND COSATU POSITION ON A JUST TRANSITION: AT THE LEAST JT IMPLIES TRANSFORMING THE PATTERNS OF PRODUCTION, INVESTMENT AND CONSUMPTION AND OWNERSHIP IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ECONOMY.

• CAPITALISM IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE; THEREFORE, ONE CANNOT ADDRESS THIS GLOBAL CHALLENGE WITHOUT CONSTRUCTING A NEW DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL. MOREOVER, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO DEMAND THAT THIS PRINCIPLE BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT TEXT FOR THE POST 2020 AGREEMENT. BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL REPORTS INDICATE THAT THIS PRINCIPLE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE NEGOTIATING TEXT. FURTHERMORE, OUR ENGAGEMENT IN THE DEA NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE INDICATES THAT GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDS THIS PRINCIPLE ONLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GLOBAL NORTH AND SOUTH DIVIDE.

• WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PATHWAY WHICH NOT ONLY ADDRESSES CLIMATE CHANGE BUT SPEAK TO OUR NATIONAL GROWTH PATH, ADDRESSES UNEMPLOYMENT AND MITIGATES AND ADAPTS TO CLIMATE CHALLENGES WITH EQUAL EMPHASIS AND NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF JOBS AND WORKERS IN PARTICULAR

• GOVERNMENT IN SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL ACCORD MUST BE AMBITIOUS AND SUPPORT THE GOAL OF CONFINING THE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE TO 1.5 ˚C BY 2100. THE AFRICA GROUP HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED 1.5 DEGREES AS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE HAS ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES FOR REGIONS IN THE SOUTH AND OR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• WE SUPPORT GOVERNMENT IN ADVOCATING FOR COMMON BUT DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES :- DEVELOPED COUNTRIES COMMITMENTS SHOULD GREATLY EXCEED THOSE OF LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR THE HIGHEST EMITTER'S WHOSE COMMITMENT TO EMISSION REDUCTION TARGETS MUST BE BINDING AND IMMEDIATE. THIS MEANS TRANSCENDING THE 25-40% RANGE (COMPARED TO 1990 LEVELS). SA SHOULD PUSH THIS POSITION SINCE SUCCESS ON THIS FRONT IS CRUCIAL TOWARDS ACHIEVING A REDUCTION RATE OF 72% BY 2050. MOREOVER, LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WITH EMPHASIS ON “LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ” AS MINOR CONTRIBUTORS SHOULD MAKE COMMITMENTS COMMENSURATE TO THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO COMMITMENTS WHICH INHIBIT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDED TO DEVELOP OUR ECONOMIES.

• SA INDC DOCUMENT - AT COP 19 IN WARSAW (POLAND), COUNTRIES AGREED TO INTENSIFY PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDC’S) TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF THE UNFCCC. .COUNTRIES HAD TO CLEARLY OUTLINE THEIR DOMESTIC PLANS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND SUBMIT THESE PLANS AHEAD OF THE COP 21 NEGOTIATIONS IN PARIS, SA IS ON TRACK WITH SUBMISSIONS, BUT THE PLAN IS FAR FROM TRANSPARENT AND WE RAISE SERIOUS CONCERN IN THIS REGARD- PARTICULARLY DUE TO THE PUSH FOR A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT AT COP21

• DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS SHOULD DEVELOP A MECHANISM FOR MAKING THE KNOWLEDGE/ INFORMATION ON INDCS ACCESSIBLE. S

• WE CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF THE EMPLOYMENT VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT STUDY, WHICH MUST ACCOMPANY THE MITIGATION STRATEGY OF THE INDCS.

• FOURTHLY, THAT THE INDC MUST BE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF A JUST TRANSITION.

• FIFTH, SA’S INDC MUST BE INFORMED BY THE “REQUIRED BY SCIENCE PRINCIPLE”. THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF THIS IS THAT WE NEED A LONG-TERM CARBON BUDGET.

SUBSTANTIVE DEMANDS RE INDC’S

• THE INDCS NEEDS TO BE SCIENCE BOUND – REQUIRED BY SCIENCE (RBS); MEANING A LOWER PEAK PLATEAU DECLINE BOUNDARY. THERE SHOULD BE A NATIONAL INDC REVIEW STRUCTURE TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE IMPLEMENTATION.

• COLLECTIVELY, ALL COUNTRIES MUST REDUCE GLOBAL EMISSIONS SO THAT GLOBAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE INCREASE DOES NOT EXCEED 1.5% DEGREES BY 2100.

• ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICIAL UNFCCC MECHANISM TO ASSESS WHETHER REQUIRED BY SCIENCE PRINCIPLE IS BEING MET.

• INDC MUST BE LINKED TO A SPECIFIC BASE YEAR.

• WE REJECT THE RE-EVALUATION OF BAU (BUSINESS AS USUAL) - INDCS NEED TO HAVE FIXED MT CO2 E.G. EMISSIONS ON TARGET YEARS.

• SA MUST LOBBY FOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MECHANISMS (HAVING AN OVERSIGHT BODY FOR LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENTS WAS SUGGESTED)

• THERE NEEDS TO BE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) AND THE INDC. ENERGY PLANNING MUST COMPLIMENT THE TARGETS SET OUT IN THE INDCS.

• SA NEEDS TO LOBBY FOR GLOBAL TERMINATION OF FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES.

• WE REJECT NUCLEAR POWER

• WE REJECT FRACKING AS A TECHNOLOGY AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE

• ALL NEW ENERGY MODELLING SHOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF FULL LIFE CYCLE ANALYSES AND INCLUDE ALL EXTERNALITIES, WHILE PROVIDING FULL TRANSPARENCY ON THE IMPACTS ON THE PRICE PATH FOR END USERS.

• GOVERNMENT TO INVEST IN RESEARCH AREAS NOT ADEQUATELY COVERED BY THE MPA (E.G. LULUCF)

• FULL DISCLOSURE ON THE PROCESS FOR ARRIVING AT INDC TARGETS

• WE WANT TO BE CLEAR WHAT SOUTH AFRICA CAN DO UNCONDITIONALLY, WE WANT AN UNCONDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION - CLARITY ON WHICH ELEMENTS ARE CONDITIONAL AND WHICH ARE UNCONDITIONAL

INDC’S DOCUMENT NEEDS A COMPREHENSIVE ADAPTATION STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE

EFFECTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IS BOUND TO HAVE ON SOUTH AFRICA

• ADAPTATION PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED BY VIABLE COSTING AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND BUILD ON EXISTING DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT (DRM) PLANS

• INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF THE ALLOCATION AND DISBURSEMENT FOR ADAPTATION FUNDS

• THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE POLICY NEEDS AN ENABLING AND ENFORCEABLE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK (LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IS IN PLANNING)

• REJECT GMOS AS AN ADAPTATION STRATEGY/TECHNOLOGY

• NEED TO FOCUS ON BUILDING COMMUNITY LEVEL CAPACITY

• PRIORITISING LABOUR INTENSITY OVER ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY

• NEEDS TO HAVE GOOD ENERGY RETURN ON ENERGY INVESTMENT

• NEEDS TO BE MEASURABLY ADDITIONAL TO EXISTING DEVELOPMENT FINANCE – PROVABLE ADDITIONALLY FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION (THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY ON EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS WAS FLAGGED)

CLIMATE FINANCE

• WE REAFFIRM OUR HISTORICAL POSITION THAT DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SHOULD PROVIDE THE FINANCE FOR THE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY. THIS REQUIRES MORE PROGRESS ON THE QUESTION OF ESTABLISHING AND DISSEMINATING THE GREEN FUND. WE NOTE THE PLEDGES MADE FOR THE FIRST CAPITALISATION OF THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND (GCF) WHICH AMOUNT TO 10BN USD. HOWEVER, COMBES (2014) POINTS OUT THAT: 100 BILLION DOLLARS (BY 2020) WERE PLEDGED TO FUND THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE, ADAPTATION AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS, BUT ONLY 2 BILLION DOLLARS WERE COLLECTED IN NEW YORK (2014).

• COSATU DEMANDS THAT OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SHOULD SUPPORT THIS PLEDGE BY OUTLINING HOW MUCH THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE; PROVIDING CLEAR IMPLEMENTATION TIME LINES; DESCRIBING THE NATURE OF THE FINANCE ; AND HOW IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED.

SUPPORT A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT

• COP 21 AGREEMENT MUST BE LEGALLY BINDING AND WITH CLEAR ACCOUNTABILITY AND MECHANISMS FOR COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT AND/OR PENALTIES FOR TRANSGRESSION ESTABLISHED.

COSATU’S CONCERNS• WE NOTE THE ALARMING DECLINE IN THE GROWTH OF SA AND THE RATE AT

WHICH UNEMPLOYMENT AND RETRENCHMENTS ARE ON THE INCREASE

• REPORTS IN THE PRESS SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THIS DOWN TURN IS SAID TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER AND ALONG WHICH COLD FEET FROM BUSINESS COME JOB LOSSES

• NOTING THIS CONTEXT THE IMPETUS FOR GOVERNMENT TO REASSURE BUSINESS AND STEM THE TIDE OF UNEMPLOYMENT – IS BY NOT ONLY COMMITTING TO JOB CREATION BUT DOING SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE ABOUT IT

• CLIMATE CHANGE AND MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT AS A COMMITMENT TO A “JUST TRANSITION” AS WE GREEN THE ECONOMY AND ADVOCATE AND AGGRESSIVELY PROMOTE GREEN JOBS

• OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, REDEPLOYMENT, RESKILLING ETC. AS A COMMITMENT TO LOCALIZATION IS WHAT WE AS LABOUR WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND THE DEA AND OTHER KEY GOVERNMENT PARTNERS ARE SILENT ON THIS.

ENERGY SPECIFIC CONCERNS• COSATU AS PER THE 11TH CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS SUPPORTS A JUST TRANSITION ECONOMIC GROWTH

PATH WHICH TRANSITIONS COAL DEPENDENCY TOWARDS LOW CARBON ENERGY AND ECONOMY, WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS, SKILLS, REDEPLOYMENT ETC.

• COSATU SUPPORTS AN ENERGY MIX WITH RENEWABLES- SOLAR , WIND BECOMING VIABLE OPTIONS IN THIS NEW ENERGY TRAJECTORY – (CSIR 2015 REPORT HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS VIABLE OPTION IN THE ENERGY MIX APPROACH WHEN IT MITIGATED LOAD-SHEDDING, CAUSED BY ESKOM’S INCAPACITY TO DELIVER. WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY WAS SUPPLIED TO THE GRID AND SAVED ESKOM AND SA BUSINESS SUBSTANTIAL COSTS

• COSATU SUPPORTS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY AND SUPPORTS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY THAT CAN SPEAK TO UNEMPLOYMENT, ENERGY SECURITY, FOOD SOVEREIGNTY ETC.

• COSATU HAS BEEN AND STILL IS ANTI- NUCLEAR ENERGY AND AS PER THE SECTION 11 NOTICE SERVED AT NEDLAC DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY IN THE “PRE-PROCUREMENT”

• DOING COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS- NUCLEAR HAS NO POTENTIAL JOB BENEFITS, WILL EXPOSE WORKER TO OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS, BEARS MAJOR COSTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT, POTENTIAL IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO OCEANS AND SEA LIFE, LIVELIHOODS AND IN THE CASE OF RADIATION LEAKS THE HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS WILL BE ASTRONOMICAL_ NOTWITHSTANDING ALL OF THIS ENERGY PRODUCED IN THIS WAY WILL MAKE ENERGY WAY TO EXPENSIVE FOR SA BUSINESS AND ORDINARY SOUTH AFRICAN, WORKERS AND THE WORKING CLASS IN GENERAL. IT MAKES NO SENSE AND CONTRADICTS THE ESSENCE OF OUR NATIONAL GROWTH PATH.

WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE• FOR A LONG TIME ONE OF THE KEY CRITICISMS IS THE OMISSION BY CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

MAKERS TO OMIT WATER – CRUCIAL TO ALL FORMS OF LIFE OUT OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCOURSE AND DEBATE – AND THERE ARE REASONS FOR THAT

• WE WOULD LIKE TO TABLE THAT WATER AS A SOURCE OF LIFE HAS BECOME SEVERELY THREATENED AS A RESULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE WITH WEATHER PATTERNS NEGATIVELY IMPACTING RAINFALL PATTERNS WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN SOUTH AFRICA- IN FACT CAPE TOWN IF NOT FOR THE LASTEST RAINS WAS HEADING FOR RESTRICTIONS, KZN, LIMPOP AND FREE STATE ARE AMONGST OUR OTHER PROVINCES- WATER INSECURITY DOES NOT ONLY IMPACT ACCESS AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL BUT IMPACTS INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE.

• THE CURRENT DISCONCERTING FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CCMA ON RETRENCHMENTS IN A CLIMATE OF LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT IS CAN ONLY GET WORSE WITH ENERGY AND WATER INSECURITIES

• WATER REUSE, RECYCLING, RECLAIMING AND WATER USE EFFICIENCIES CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB CREATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – COSATU NEED TO BE ACTIVELY ENAGED BY THE DST AND DWS AND OTHER PARTNERS TO PLOT OUT THE WATER SECURITY FOR OUR COUNTRY

• POLLUTERS SUCH AS MINES- ACID MINE DRAINAGE, INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE AND MUNICIPLAITIES POLLUTING OUR RIVERS MUST BE HEAVILY FINED

HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY

• COSATU WOULD LIKE TO TABLE THE INCREASE IN NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AMONGST THE WORKING CLASS- AND WORKERS – HYPERTENSION , DIABETES, CHOLESTEROL, OBESITY RESULTING IN HEART ATTACKS, STROKES. CHILDREN ARE ALSO PRONE TO THESE INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF MALNUTRITION.

• SEVERAL NGO’S HAVE DONE STUDIES OF HOUSEHOLDS DAILY FOOD BASKET AND FOUND THAT COST OF LIVING FOR THE WORKING CLASS HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY, WHILE THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD AND ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUE HAS DECREASED.

• ACCORDING TO THE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE – HOUSEHOLDS IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE INCREASING FINDING THEMSELVES FOOD INSECURE.

• THE COMMITMENT TO ENSURE THAT SOUTH AFRICAN HAVE FOOD SOVEREIGNTY BY GROWING THE RIGHT FOODS THE WAY NATURE INTENDED AND LESS AS COMMERCIAL FARMING TECHNOLOGIES AND AGRO PROCESSING WHICH INCREASE GHG’S – JUST TRANSITION TOWARDS A LOW CARBON AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WITH ACCESS TO NUTRITION AND HEALTH FOOD MUST BECOME A PRIORITY PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF MEETING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY

THANK YOU