Hon Speaker, the ANC's vision on environmental issues after the 1994 democratic breakthrough has informed various policies, programmes and actions of government since 1995. At the 52nd national conference of the ANC, in December 2007, it was resolved that climate change is recognised as a new threat on a global scale which places an enormous burden on South Africans and Africans as a whole, because we are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and because the risk to the poor is the greatest.
Climate change was once a marginal issue, today it is moving to centre stage as governments, businesses and individuals assess its implications. It is in fact one of humanity's most pressing and difficult challenges. Its effects are already being felt and will only worsen over time, affecting current and future generations. Without urgent and concerted action, climate change will seriously affect the way of life in all countries, damage fragile ecosystems and threaten global security through migration and resource use conflicts.
Global warming and climate change are considered a major threat to sustainable growth and development in Africa and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The African continent contributes the least to global emissions of greenhouse gases, yet it is the most vulnerable to its effects, particularly due to its high dependence on biologically based natural resources and rain-fed agriculture, widespread poverty and weak capacity. The effects of climate change are acutely felt in terms of diminished natural resources, reduced agricultural production, worsening food security, increased flooding and drought and spreading diseases.
Climate change lies behind much of the prevailing poverty, food insecurity and weak economic growth in Africa and affects approximately 2 million of the poorest people in Africa, who predominantly depend on climate-sensitive agricultural production. The vulnerability of these people is expected to escalate over the years due to climate change and its associated impacts, like droughts and floods which are so familiar to us in the Southern African region.
Southern Africa, like developing regions elsewhere, has not been spared from the severe impacts of climate change. In the last two decades or so, the region has experienced a number of adverse climate hazards. The most serious ones have been dry spells, seasonal droughts, intense rainfall and floods. Droughts and floods have increased in frequency, intensity and magnitude over the past two or three decades. They have impacted adversely on food and water security, water quality, energy and sustainable livelihoods of the most rural communities. In South Africa and elsewhere, there's a strong link between energy consumption and climate change. The type of energy used, whether it is renewable or non-renewable, defines to a great extent each country's emission profile and its contribution to the greenhouse gases. South Africa's total greenhouse gas emission equalled 1,6% of global emissions in 1999. In that year, the energy and cement sectors produced 94 million tons of carbon which was 2,3 tons per capita and nearly ten times the African average and twice the world average.
Figures from the International Energy Agency, IEA, revealed that in 2003 coal-dependent South Africa released some 318 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is the major greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The total carbon dioxide emission from the energy sector alone was estimated at a staggering 429 million tons in 2004. This makes South Africa one of the highest emitters after major developing countries like China and India. South Africa's emission intensity is comparatively higher that many other major developing countries. While coal use in electricity production is the main reason for this emission profile, other reasons include the production of synthetic liquid fuels from coal, a high proportion of energy-intensive industries and mining, and inefficient use of energy. South Africa has, however, made some commendable progress in its response to the threats of global climate change and variability. It has, for example, acknowledged its role in the emission of greenhouse gases through its excessive dependence on coal and has noted the immediate need for the country to move from being an energy- intensive economy to a low carbon growth economy.
Current and proposed interventions on the ground for mitigating climate change are mainly focused on the energy sector, due to the increasing realisation that energy production is the primary and major source of greenhouse gases in South Africa. This has culminated in the formation and adoption of various interventions, including the White Paper on Renewable Energy Policy for South Africa, which aims to realise energy security through a progressive switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources such as bioenergy, hydro, solar and wind energy.
Bioenergy is a term used to describe energy produced from any fuel that is derived from biomass, which are recently living organisms or their metabolic by-products. Biomass can include matter such as compost, other organic materials, living plants and plant components. Unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels, bioenergy is a renewable energy source.
The production of bioenergy is gathering more and more attention as a feasible way of reducing dependency on imported oil and gas, and is even being hailed as one of the potential key weapons in the battle against global warming. If managed sustainably, the use of biomass, biogas and biofuels could help us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The great appeal of bioenergy is that it is theoretically a renewable source of energy. Crops can be converted into energy, either by being processed into liquid fuel for the transport sector in the form of biofuels, or by being burnt in power plants as biomass. Effectively producing energy from biofuels or biomass could be seen as recycling carbon dioxide.
Research conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, indicates that large-scale bioenergy projects could impact positively on socioeconomic and environmental areas for current and future generations, including making a significant contribution to international energy demands and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The University of Stellenbosch recently held a conference with some of the world's leading experts in the field to discuss issues relating to sustainable production of bioenergy. Although the project is apparently still in its early days, preliminary discussions have outlined Africa as having the greatest potential for bioenergy production. With its large land masses that are fairly unpopulated and its historically highly productive landscape, Africa could very well be the epicentre of the global bioenergy market. Africa can provide enough bioenergy without impacting on the continent's food security.
According to Prof August Temu of the World Agroforestry Centre, this project will turn away from previously western-based bioenergy plants and ensure, instead, that ownership of any bioenergy production is by the very people whose land will grow the crops, namely Africans.
Two years ago in Polokwane, the ANC conference resolved that South Africa's economy must benefit from the global growth potential of the renewable energy centre, including through the provision of incentives for investment in renewable energy infrastructure and in human resources, to ensure that institutions and companies are ready to take full advantage of renewable energy opportunities.
In this connection, it was also resolved that the realignment of institutional mechanisms, which will fast-track the utilisation of renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change, must be promoted. We, in South Africa, cannot wait any longer; we must start taking decisive actions now.
In conclusion, the ANC appreciates and encourages both the Speaker of this House, the Minister of this department and of course our chairperson in the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, for their stewardship in ensuring that South Africa is as prompt as it is expected to be in Africa. Thank you very much.