The Department of Environment Affairs on Monday shared some of the country’s Climate Change Near-Term Priority Flagship Programmes on the side-lines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change currently taking place in Poland.

In the past seven years the department has invested more than R270 billion in programmes to support the country’s transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy and society.

According to the department the Climate Change Flagship Programmes respond to the three key challenges facing South Africa and other countries as global efforts to address climate change intensify.

The department said the Climate Change Flagship Programmes respond to the three key challenges facing South Africa and other countries as global efforts to address climate change intensify.

Key challenges

“The first challenge is the need to ignite national-scale action at the speed required to respond to climate change by, for example, limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or enabling adaptation to the impacts of unavoidable climate change with the necessary urgency,” the department explained.

“Secondly, there is a need to demonstrate that the course of actions needed to respond to climate change effectively and efficiently is not only possible, but also highly beneficial, as it will unlock and realise significant social, economic and environmental benefits.

“Lastly, there is a need to attract resources at the scale required to enable meaningful climate transformation,” the department added.

The department noted that until 2030, programmes that address climate-resilient human settlements, energy efficiency, renewable energy, agriculture food systems, waste management and water management will be implemented.