EXPLAINED | SA is at the COP26 summit — here’s what it is and why it matters

02 November 2021 - 13:04
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Activists stage a dramatic art installation in Glasgow to push for urgent action to slow or halt climate change. The UN Climate Change Conference COP26 started in the city on Sunday.
Activists stage a dramatic art installation in Glasgow to push for urgent action to slow or halt climate change. The UN Climate Change Conference COP26 started in the city on Sunday.
Image: RUSSELL CHEYNE

SA is among the 190 countries represented at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland, where it is part of discussions about the impact of climate change.

The department of environmental affairs said last month it will make clear its commitment to reducing its contribution to the climate change crisis by limiting the emission of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.

SA will also ask developed countries for financial assistance required to aid the country’s transition to renewable energy by 2030. 

Here’s what you should know:

What is COP26?

COP26 is a UN conference held annually to discuss the climate change crisis. World leaders attend the summits called COPs, which stands for Conference of the Parties.

The first summit was held in 1995 in Berlin, Germany. This year’s summit is the 26th, hence the name COP26. 

How much does SA need?

Addressing a media briefing ahead of the summit last week, minister Barbara Creecy said financial aid from rich countries was crucial for SA’s implementation of climate change mitigation measures.

“Developing countries generally, and SA in particular, cannot implement ambitious mitigation targets unless there is sustainable, cost-effective financing from the developed countries and other multilateral and philanthropic institutions,” said Creecy.

Senior official in the presidency Rudi Dicks said SA needed R400bn in electricity infrastructure as part of its plan to transition from air-polluting coal.

What is SA’s plan?

SA set an ambitious goal to keep greenhouse emissions to a range of 420 CO2-eq and 350 CO2-eq by 2030 by 2030, a contribution towards the global zero man-made emissions in the atmosphere by 2050.

This will also contribute towards keeping the global temperature at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to prevent the severe impact of climate change on human health and unpredictable weather conditions, among other concerns.

This recommendation is contained in the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. 

Impact of climate change on health should dominate talks: experts 

Local activists Rico Euripidou and Bobby Peek, who are environmental health campaigners at Groundwork, told TimesLIVE the government must act with speed to address the climate change crisis. 

The climate crisis is a health crisis. Severe droughts, heat, wildfires and flooding events are degrading earth’s life support systems and increasing people’s vulnerability to heat stress, malnutrition, infectious diseases and mental health. The African continent, which is already vulnerable to climate extremes, malnutrition, disease and civil conflict, is one of the global regions at greatest risk,” they said. 

Peek said waiting on rich countries to provide financial assistance before taking practical steps to mitigate the climate change crisis will only serve to delay our response to the climate change crisis. 

“There are measures that can be taken now, and within existing budgets, such as effective local government service provision, proper water management, proper healthcare and disaster planning.

“We need to show SA society that government will ensure restorative justice that deals with the past apartheid injustice and failure of our democracy to meaningfully address issues of service delivery that will make society resilient to the impacts of climate change,” he said.


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