Climate change an existential threat, Ramaphosa says

Climate changeposes an existential threat to the future of humanity and the planet, PresidentCyril Ramaphosasaid on Friday, urging global and domestic action to curb emissions while safeguarding livelihoods and economic development. He was speaking as he chaired the virtual inaugural meeting of thePresidential Climate Commission(PCC), its first sitting since being reconstituted under the Climate Change Act. “We must act with others across the globe to ensure that we do not breach the 1.5°C warming above pre-industrial levels,” the president said.

“We must reduce carbon emissions at a pace and scale that is appropriate to our national circumstances while simultaneously climate-proofing our development and infrastructure and strengthening resilience and disaster management.” Ministers in the Presidency, higher education and training and forestry, fisheries and the environment attended the meeting, which set priorities for advancing the country’s just transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. South Africa, Ramaphosa said, was already experiencing the effects of climate change, citing recent flooding and extreme weather events across several provinces. These impacts are expected to intensify significantly by the end of the decade, potentially constraining economic growth and undermining efforts to reduce inequality, poverty and unemployment.

“Ajust transitionis not only an environmental imperative. It is equally an economic and social one,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that the shift to a low-emissions economy must protect workers and vulnerable communities while creating new opportunities for development. “Addressing climate change must therefore go hand in hand with improving living conditions for all,” he added, noting that women, children, people with disabilities, the poor and the unemployed face the greatest risks from climate impacts.

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“As the country works to reduce its carbon footprint, we must ensure that this shift does not disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, such as those who depend on industries like coal mining for their livelihoods,” Ramaphosa said. Achieving this, he noted, would require inclusive social dialogue and unprecedented cooperation between government, business, labour and communities. Reflecting on the PCC’s work since its establishment in December 2020, Ramaphosa said it had marked a turning point in the country’s climate agenda by fostering consensus among government, business, labour, civil society, youth and academia on some of the most contested climate and development challenges.

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