Local government partner for COP17

14 Nov 2011

South Africa, via the Ethekwini Municipality, will be hosting the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) and the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 7), from 28 November to 9 December, 2011, at the Durban Pavilion.

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN) and EThekwini Municipality, supported by The Department of Corporate Governance and Department of Environmental Affairs have formed a partnership, known as Local Government Programme for COP17 (LGP4COP17), for the purposes of implementing local government activities pre-, during and post-17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) and the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 7).

Demonstrate what municipalities are doing

The purpose of the LGP4COP17 is to demonstrate what municipalities are doing to adapt to climate change and to involve normal South African citizens and see what they can do to help and adapt to climate change in our country.

Over the years the South African government has been actively engaged in international climate change negotiations, specifically the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.

The South African government acknowledges that it is both a contributor to, and potential victim of, global climate change given that it has an energy-intensive, fossil fuel-powered economy and is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and change.

Government has prepared a policy

With this in mind, the government has prepared a National Climate Change Response Policy with two objectives: making a fair contribution to the global effort to achieve the stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system; and effectively adapt to and manage unavoidable and potential damaging climate change impacts through interventions that build and sustain South Africa's social, economic and environmental resilience and emergency response capacity.

The LGP4COP17 will host a 12-day conference at the COP17, specifically targeting local issues and difficulties. The 12-day activities will include discussions on Human Settlement and Transport; Health Food and Water and Agriculture and Forestry.