Mr Speaker, I want to express appreciation, firstly to the chairperson and then to the director- general for their leadership in driving this programme, which is very complex. I must express appreciation to all of the members who participated in this very mature and very vibrant debate, which really highlighted the vulnerability of humankind to the implications of climate change. I really want to applaud you, hon members. [Applause.]
You are real South African patriots. You have enriched us, and this is how it should be. You were unanimous on the need for us to act and to act urgently with regard to mitigation and adaptation.
I particularly want to make mention of the people who said that solving the climate change problem cannot be separated from poverty alleviation, because this is what is driving us as we pursue your interest - the national interest. When we talk about the national interest, our overriding priority is poverty alleviation. So, I do want to make the point that this is really what is driving us.
That is why, when we are talking about the deal, we are not being academic. We are saying that the climate change deal must balance climate change imperatives with development imperatives. Climate change should not take over from development; these two must go together.
I also want to make the point that you all highlighted the impact of climate change on humanity. And, to a certain extent, all of us were saying that we were right when we said that adaptation is important. You also reminded us that as this country, we have a contribution to make in terms of mitigation.
I just wish to make the point again, that for us mitigation is also a long- term strategy for adapting. So, while we have to act urgently in terms of ensuring that our early warning systems and our agricultural technology are okay, we need to ensure that mitigation does not lag behind.
I also want to say that we have good policies, hon Ndude, even on issues of water. What this House needs to do is really to monitor the implementation of these policies. If you are talking about the vulnerability of our water resources, you're quite right, they are quite vulnerable. However, this applies not only to South Africa, but to the whole of the continent.
Within our policies on water in South Africa, we have a water resource management strategy which, within itself, has a climate change strategy to deal with water, but the devil is in the implementation thereof. What we really need to do in earnest is to implement these policies.
Regarding fossil fuels, Ms Dudley, surprise, surprise! We are not going to drop fossil fuel use, because nobody is dropping it. As we speak, the United States of America generates 50% and the United Kingdom 40% of its electricity from coal. They have not been vocal by saying, "we are going to drop our use of coal". So, why should South Africa, being a developing country, do so? I think we would be doing an injustice to the poor people of this country, because energy is central to economic growth. So, for us, an energy mix is the way to go.
Whereas we are reducing our dependence on coal, we are still going to use it; that is a fact. Everybody uses coal. After all, we are even better endowed with coal than most countries. We need the space to develop and to deal with the socioeconomic conditions that confront us.
I would agree with the point that, domestically, we have not done very well. I said this long ago and I still believe so. I think we have left behind the majority of our people, who are very vulnerable.
I want to hear someone saying that planting an indigenous tree ...
... eBulembu kuza kwenza ukuba abantu abangama-40 bafumane umongo-moya, ikhabon dayokhsaydi itsalwe ngumthi. [ ... in Bulembu will result in 40 people getting oxygen, whilst carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the tree.]
As long as that education does not filter down to our people, we still have a long way to go. That's where you come in as Parliament; you carry out oversight.
I believe that climate change is not something for government only. All of us as society need to participate in this programme.
We will be establishing a website very soon, because we want to make information available to you. I've spoken to NGOs, because we think that civil society has a very important role to play.
I appreciate the chairperson's views on involving universities, not only for awareness or education, but also for skills development. This matter is relatively new. The first report on climate change was received by the United Nations in 1987. It's a fairly new phenomenon. So, we do need those skills.
Most of the people on this side were toyi-toying at the time. My point is that it's a fairly new phenomenon and it's only now that we really need to work hard to develop the capacity and the skills to deal with this.