Transcript South Africa`s Ratification of Paris Agreement on Climate Change

SOUTH AFRICA’S RATIFICATION OF THE
PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE
CHANGE UNDER THE UNFCCC
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES: 26 OCTOBER 2016
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PURPOSE
• To seek approval for ratification of the
2015 Paris Agreement on Climate
Change.
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BACKGROUND[1]
• The Paris Agreement is a legal instrument that will further
guide the process for universal action on climate change;
• The universal agreement’s main objective is to hold the
increase in the global average temperature to well below 2
degrees Celsius pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts
to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels;
• The COP 21 launched an Ad Hoc Working Group on the
Paris Agreement (APA)
• The role of the APA is to develop guidance, rules and
procedures in preparation of the entry into force of the
agreement by 2020.
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BACKGROUND[2]
• All Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate
Change are now expected to undertake the next step to
adopt the agreement within their own legal systems,
through ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
• The Paris Agreement shall enter into force on the 30th
day after the date on which at least 55 parties to the
Convention accounting in total for at least 55% of the
total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited
their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession with the depository.
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MOMENTUM ON THE RATIFICATION PROCESSES
• Global political considerations, in particular the current
elections in the USA, have created unexpected momentum,
on entry into force.
• On 5th October 2016, the double threshold was achieved, with
79 Parties having already ratified the Agreement, accounting
for close to 60% of global emissions.
• This means that the Conference of the Parties, serving as the
Meeting of the Parties (CMA1) for the Paris Agreement will be
convened during COP22 in Marrakech.
• It is likely that the CMA1 will be suspended, until 2018, to
ensure inclusivity of the decision-making processes, by
allowing time for more Parties to ratify the agreement, and for
conclusion of preparatory work that supports the
operationalization of the Paris Agreement
SOUTH AFRICA’S RATIFICATION PROCESS[1]
• The Agreement must be approved by Parliament in terms of section
231(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
following national stakeholder consultations.
• Steps taken and concluded:
 DEA obtained legal opinion from Department International
Relations and Cooperation and Department of Justice and
Constitutional Development.
 Acting on behalf of the President, the Minister signed the Paris
Agreement on the 21 April 2016 in New York.
 An extensive process of consultation was concluded, on South
Africa’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (in 2015), on
the outcomes of COP 21, and ratification of the Paris Agreement as
well as on the mandate for Marrakech COP 22 (in 2016)
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BENEFITS OF RATIFICATION OF THE
PARIS AGREEMENT[1]
• The Paris Agreement for the first time brings all nations into a
common cause based on their historic, current and future
responsibilities. Benefits of ratification are:
 A strong, legally-binding international framework will,
from 2020, guide the global response to the global
challenge of climate change
 Ratification ensures that political momentum is
maintained at the international level (including momentum
on finalising the rule set to operationalise the Agreement,
and momentum is created for domestic implementation;
 Global co-operation in limiting the temperature
increase to 1.5 degrees: achievement of the 1.5 degree
temperature limit will only occur if all Parties act promptly
to put in place measures to implement their NDCs;
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BENEFITS OF RATIFICATION OF THE
PARIS AGREEMENT[2]
• The Paris Agreement:
– will mobilise multilateral effort to achieve the Global
Adaptation Goal, thereby raising the profile and importance of
support for developing countries in adapting to the impacts of
climate change
– requires Parties to undertake and communicate Nationally
Determined Contributions which must represent a progression
overtime, towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement, and
recognises that developing countries require support for these
efforts; Parties will also report on progress;
– requires a Global Stocktake to assess the collective
progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement
and its long term goals. This will inform Parties in updating and
enhancing their Nationally Determined Contributions.
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IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY ENTRY INTO FORCE [1]
• Currently, 79 countries including the US, China and Brazil as well as 13
African countries (Cameroon, Somalia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar,
Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland and
Uganda ) have now ratified the PA and accounting for almost 60 % of total
global emission.
• Article 16 of the PA states that “Parties that have ratified the agreement
shall have a decision making powers during the CMA meeting”.
• Parties that would have not ratified the PA during the CMA will only be
accorded an observer status. This means that should the agreement
enters into force in 2016 South Africa will not be at a decision making
table.
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IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY ENTRY INTO FORCE
• Given South Africa´s leading role in developing the landmark Paris
Agreement and the international political significance being attached
to South Africa joining the Agreement well ahead 2020, it is
recommended that the ratification process is prioritised.
• The COP 22 in Morocco will have to take a decision on how to
handle the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement.
• There are currently 4 options involving the suspension of the CMA
and to continue work under the APA/COP:
 APA discontinued and CMA undertakes preparatory work;
 CMA continues work with the support of APA or Subsidiary
Bodies;
 CMA suspended and APA continues work program;
 CMA suspended and COP continues work with support of APA
or SBs)
• Options 1 and 2 are not in favour of South Africa.
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Implications for South Africa
The Paris Agreement requires South Africa to:
• submit a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every five years. We
submitted our Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to the
UNFCCC in 2015, which applies to 2025 & 2030. The next NDC
(applicable to 2035) will be due in 2023.
• develop policies and measures (PAMs) to implement our NDCs, and to
report on progress. This work is well underway.
• account for our NDC (the extent to which we have met the goals of our
NDC). A national climate change response tracking system is in place,
and the first annual climate change response report has been published.
• submit biennial reports to the UNFCCC on national circumstances,
emissions, adaptation and other facets of climate change. The 2nd
Biennial Update Report has been published for public comment.
• South Africa should submit regular communications on adaptation, and
also develop a long-term low-carbon development strategy. This work
has been initiated
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What we are doing, and will need to do
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The development of South Africa’s National Climate Change
Adaptation Strategy is well underway, and a framework for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions has been agreed by Cabinet.
A climate change response monitoring and evaluation system has
been developed to track South Africa’s transition to a lower carbon and
climate resilient economy.
However, we will have to increase the pace of implementation
We will have to scale up investments significantly in renewable energy,
public transport, energy efficiency, waste management and land
restoration initiatives country-wide, in order to reduce the greenhouse
gas emissions intensity of our economy.
All spheres of Government will need to refine their strategies for
adapting to the impacts of climate change, and for enhancing the
capacity of institutions, services, infrastructure, human settlements and
ecosystem services to respond to and bounce back from the impacts
of climate change.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the ratification
of the 2015 Paris Agreement on
Climate Change is approved by
Parliament.
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SECRET
SECRET
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