ENVIRONMENT

COP17: THE CONCLUSION

Voice of Local Government speaks to XOLISA NGDWALA, South Africas chief negotiator at COP17, and unearths the outcomes of the global conference.
Marked progress was made in the area of climate nance, which was particularly important for developing nations. The establishment of the GCF claried the role of designated authorities in the approval of funding proposals, as to ensure consistency with national climate strategies. The Department of Environmental Affairs Xolisa Ngdwala was South Africas chief negotiator at COP17. Ngdwala comments: The developments made in Durban are positive for South Africa in that none of the necessary mechanisms for South Africa to move forward were frozen. Thanks to the progress made on the GCF, we are now in a position to scale up pilot projects. DURBAN LG CONVENTION From a municipal perspective, the most progress occurred at a COP17 side event, namely the Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to a changing climate towards COP17/CMP7, and beyond which took place at eThekwini City Hall. It was hosted by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN), eThekwini Municipality, the Department for Environmental Affairs and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. Mayors and senior city ofcials from localities all over the globe met here to address adaptation issues on a local level and effectively urbanise the global climate change agenda. Councillor James Nxumalo of the eThekwini Municipality also led delegates in the signing of the historic Durban Adaptation Charter. As Debra Roberts, Deputy Head of Environmental Planning and Climate Protection at eThekwini Municipality commented: In the African context, the signing of the Charter was most signicant, as adaptation is a central focus when looking at the impacts of climate change on the continent. Signatories pledged their commitment to intensifying actions through a series of measures, including impact and vulnerability assessments, long-term adaptation strategies, funding opportunities for local adaptation projects and the promotion of city-to city cooperation. Ngdwala described the progress made by local authorities as a success and said, Decisions made on climate nance, technology and adaptation were positive for local governments. There are lots of opportunities for local authorities in South Africa to learn from their counterparts elsewhere in the world and share knowledge on the best practices in the ght against climate change.
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t the end of 2011, international attention turned to South Africa as Durban played host to the 17th Session of the Congress of Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the seventh Meeting of the Parties to Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC COP17/CMP7). Some 13 300 delegates from 194 countries came together at Durbans Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre to discuss the pressing issue of global climate change. There was naturally a strong local government presence with representatives from 950 local governments from across the globe meeting to play a critical role in formulating the Durban Adaptation Charter. OUTCOMES FROM COP17 The conference made history by being the longest COP ever, as failure to reach a consensus by the 9 December deadline saw delegates extend discussions by a further two days. The extended negotiations did result in some substantial changes to the global climate change infrastructure. Major developments included a second commitment period on the Kyoto Protocol, the Durban Platform on Enhanced Action and the Global Climate Fund. The Durban Platform has been commended for breaking with the past in that it brought all parties from both the developed and developing world onto a single track and resolved the conict between equity and environmental integrity. Furthermore, it made a provision for the reintegration of developed countries like the United States of America, which had not signed the Kyoto Protocol. This demonstrated a consensus that a successful climate change strategy needs to be truly universal. The legally binding targets set in Durban will have massive implications for South Africa, given its dependence on coal-based energy and its ranking as one of the highest global emitters. There is now a need to develop climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and local government will be instrumental in ensuring the success of such policies on the ground.

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UN Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon, President Jacob Zuma and COP17/CMP7 President Maite Nkoana-Mashabana at the opening of the High Level Segment of the COP17.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACHIEVEMENTS The local government sectors achievements at COP17 were impressive. Establishment of the Durban Charter demonstrated a political will to mainstream the issue of adaptation. Furthermore, the incredibly large presence of local government entities at COP17 demonstrated a self-acknowledgment of the responsibility that municipal authorities carry for mitigating climate change. Sandiswa Tshaka, Programmes Manager at the SACN, reiterated local governments responsibility by saying: Energy production and saving, infrastructure and transport are areas where local government can signicantly help reduce greenhouse gas emission. Municipalities also need to adapt to the changing climate to be able to continue to provide services to residents in all situations. This requires long-term planning in regulating land use and in the construction and maintenance of municipal infrastructure. Moving forward in the South African context, local authorities and their partner organisations have made plans to build on agreements made at COP17. Mthobeli Kolisa, Executive Director of Infrastructure Services, highlights the role SALGA will play in coordinating the municipal response to climate change. SALGA recognises the need for strong leadership and will be working to support

municipalities in their ventures to integrate climate change into their plans, he comments. We are passionate about promoting municipal knowledge on the issues so that all local government units can make progress in demonstrating the commitment to the Durban Adaptation Charter. TURNING POINT COP17 marks a turning point as the international community takes a signicant step towards a multilateral approach towards climate change. The conference was also a major success at a local level, not only for eThekwini Municipality that was the proud host of the event, but also for local governments throughout the world who came together to showcase how local authorities need to be at the forefront of the battle against climate change. While achievements like the GCF and Durban Adaptation Charter are tools that will assist municipalities in the future in their mission to counteract the adverse effects of climate change, the responsibility of capitalising on the positive momentum from COP17 will remain in the hands of local leaders. It is they who are charged with the important task of engaging local communities in projects to reduce their carbon footprint and alleviate the suffering and ill effects caused by global warming.
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IMAGE: TEBOGO LETSIE

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