ID SPEECH ON ENVIRONEMNTAL AFFAIRS BUDGET VOTE
16 APRIL 2010-Minister, the ID believes in giving credit where credit is due and this department certainly needs to be praised for its financial management and the hard working commitment of its staff. This is arguably one of the best-run departments in government and I believe that your influence should be extended to other Ministries.
LANCE GREYLING, MP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minister, the ID believes in giving credit where credit is due and this department certainly needs to be praised for its financial management and the hard working commitment of its staff. This is arguably one of the best-run departments in government and I believe that your influence should be extended to other Ministries.
The department of environmental affairs should not be limited to a reactive role where you have to in a sense clean up other people’s mess. You should be leading the drive to ensure that all of the decisions that are taken within government are in the interests of a sustainable development agenda. It is this department that has to deal with the disastrous long-term impacts of a coal based economy and you need to be vociferous in raising red flags around the damage of acid mine drainage, local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Minister the World Bank loan has put South Africa in theinternational spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The ID certainly disagrees with the hypocritical approach of some developed countries who have attempted to use this issue as a way of conducting climate change negotiations by stealth. I was in Copenhagen and I witnessed first hand how some of these very same developed countries refused to take on the emission reduction targets that are required by science. They also refused to make available the necessary funds to enable developing countries like uspursue a comprehensive clean energy path.
We cannot, however, all sit back and let the world burn. It is not blame that we need to apportion but rather real commitments that are required by science. On the domestic front, South Africa will now need to live up to its commitments and show that we are serious about moving from a coal based energy future to one that is powered by an increasing share of renewable energy. The ID therefore looks forward to engaging on the climate change bill that this department will need to bring to Parliament in the near future. It is vital that this process feeds into the work of other departments and that all of its programmes are driven with vigour.
Minister, the failure of Copenhagen means that the pressure is now put on us to deliver a real deal in South Africa next year when the negotiations come to our shore. Time really is running out, and I do not think it is overly dramatic to say that this will be the last chance to deliver a deal that can save the world from runaway climate change.
The ID hopes that the department will therefore bring together all stakeholders in South Africa to formulate a roadmap that will deliver just such a deal. It is not going to be easy and trust will have to once again be built between developed and developing countries. We will also need to ensure that civil society is brought on board and plays a strategic role in fighting for this deal. This is an opportunity for South Africa to once again become a global beacon of hope for the world and we all need to be a part of it.
I thank you
For media enquiries, please call Lance Greyling on 083 298 8553
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minister, the ID believes in giving credit where credit is due and this department certainly needs to be praised for its financial management and the hard working commitment of its staff. This is arguably one of the best-run departments in government and I believe that your influence should be extended to other Ministries.
The department of environmental affairs should not be limited to a reactive role where you have to in a sense clean up other people’s mess. You should be leading the drive to ensure that all of the decisions that are taken within government are in the interests of a sustainable development agenda. It is this department that has to deal with the disastrous long-term impacts of a coal based economy and you need to be vociferous in raising red flags around the damage of acid mine drainage, local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Minister the World Bank loan has put South Africa in theinternational spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The ID certainly disagrees with the hypocritical approach of some developed countries who have attempted to use this issue as a way of conducting climate change negotiations by stealth. I was in Copenhagen and I witnessed first hand how some of these very same developed countries refused to take on the emission reduction targets that are required by science. They also refused to make available the necessary funds to enable developing countries like uspursue a comprehensive clean energy path.
We cannot, however, all sit back and let the world burn. It is not blame that we need to apportion but rather real commitments that are required by science. On the domestic front, South Africa will now need to live up to its commitments and show that we are serious about moving from a coal based energy future to one that is powered by an increasing share of renewable energy. The ID therefore looks forward to engaging on the climate change bill that this department will need to bring to Parliament in the near future. It is vital that this process feeds into the work of other departments and that all of its programmes are driven with vigour.
Minister, the failure of Copenhagen means that the pressure is now put on us to deliver a real deal in South Africa next year when the negotiations come to our shore. Time really is running out, and I do not think it is overly dramatic to say that this will be the last chance to deliver a deal that can save the world from runaway climate change.
The ID hopes that the department will therefore bring together all stakeholders in South Africa to formulate a roadmap that will deliver just such a deal. It is not going to be easy and trust will have to once again be built between developed and developing countries. We will also need to ensure that civil society is brought on board and plays a strategic role in fighting for this deal. This is an opportunity for South Africa to once again become a global beacon of hope for the world and we all need to be a part of it.
I thank you
For media enquiries, please call Lance Greyling on 083 298 8553
