Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) Minister Edna Molewa has promised to “radically transform” the department’s approach to environmental management as environmental considerations were increasingly mainstreamed in development policies across the economy.

Tabling the department’s yearly budget, she told Parliament on Thursday that the DEA would increasingly look to coordinate, support and lead the environmental dimension of South Africa’s broader 'green' and 'blue' economy and sustainable development effort and ensure the sustainable use and conservation of its biodiversity, natural heritage and ecosystem resources.

“The department will also transform its approach to protect and manage environmental degradation, while optimising job creation, skills development, livelihood security and environmental sector-related socioeconomic benefits, as informed by the National Development Plan (NDP),” Molewa commented.

GREEN ECONOMY
Elaborating on the department’s strategy for a green economy, Molewa noted that it would be guided by the vision of the NDP and would comprise eight key pillars – green buildings and the built environment, sustainable transport and infrastructure, clean energy and energy efficiency, resource conservation and management, sustainable waste management, water management, sustainable consumption and production and agriculture food production and forestry.

“The key challenge to implementation [on an] economy-wide scale is financing. Our national Green Fund is one example of our innovative approach to catalyse this financing and investment. We have made great strides with the implementation of 22 multiyear green economy projects and 16 research and technology-related projects valued at R572-million,” Molewa said.

The department was, meanwhile, “pushing” for the final operationalisation of the Green Climate Fund, intended to mobilise significant financial investment support for low-carbon and climate-resilient development in developing countries.

AIR QUALITY
Molewa added that the department continued to monitor adherence to the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act, having declared “priority areas” in the Vaal Triangle, the Highveld and the Waterberg, where ambient air quality standards were currently being exceeded or may be exceeded.

The DEA was continuously measuring the quality of air through 102 government-owned air-quality-monitoring stations countrywide, which measured compliance.

“These stations continuously send data to the South African Air Quality Information System, managed by the South African Weather Services,” Molewa said.

South Africa also remained an active participant in the international climate change negotiations towards a new multilateral legal agreement targeted for finalisation at the Congress of the Parties, in Paris, in December 2015. 

“To meet our commitment of implementing mitigation actions that will collectively result in a 34% deviation below the business-as-usual emissions growth trajectory by 2020 and 42% by 2025, South Africa is already hard at work, increasing renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and growing our public transport system,” asserted Molewa.

WASTE AND CHEMICALS
Elaborating on government’s interventions to reduce waste, she referenced the National Waste Management Act and the National Waste Management Strategy, which entrenched the universal waste management principles of “reduce, reuse, recycle and recover”.

The Act now also provided for a pricing strategy for waste management charges, the establishment of a Waste Management Bureau and mechanisms to oversee the disbursement of revenue collected from waste management charges.

The DEA would also consult on the proposed development of regulations for the separation of waste at source, the banning of plastic waste-to-landfill, a moratorium on new landfill sites, a prohibition of the burning of waste, a regional approach to waste management and disposal, a deposit-return charge on plastic bottles and on how the revenue would fund industry and community initiatives to recycle and recover waste streams.

“We have seen a fundamental improvement in the provision of and access to waste collection services over the past five years. This positive trend will be sustained, with more households being provided with waste collection services towards achieving 80% access to basic waste-collection services for all households,” Molewa maintained.

CONSERVATION
Meanwhile, while rhino poaching remained South Africa’s biggest environmental threat in the field of conservation, Molewa noted that the department’s prevention efforts had seen some results.

“In the first six months of 2014, 136 suspects were arrested and charged for rhino poaching and related crimes. This represents an increase on the 134 arrests over the same period last year. In addition, R8-million from the Asset Forfeiture Unit was handed over to South African National Parks (SANParks) as part of criminal proceedings against a member of a poaching syndicate who was arrested during the course of the year,”  said the Minister.

Moreover, R103-million had been allocated to SANParks for the purpose of combating rhino poaching for the 2014/15 to 2016/17 fiscal period.

“This is in addition to other financial assistance that SANParks has and continues to receive from private-sector organisations through its fundraising initiatives.”

South Africa’s “priority engagements” with key African countries, such as Mozambique, would, meanwhile, continue to receive high attention.

This followed the signing of an agreement with the Mozambican authorities to strengthen the fight against rhino poaching. An implementation plan for the next five years was currently being jointly negotiated.

“Further afield, our engagements with Far East countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong and People’s Republic of China to address the demand for illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products are bearing fruit,” Molewa said.

OCEANS AND COAST
After last year publishing a Green Paper on the policy for the National Environmental Management of the Oceans – currently a White Paper approved by Cabinet – the DEA said South Africa had not fully exploited the economic, commercial, industrial or large-scale livelihood opportunities presented by the sustainable use and management of oceans.

“We are coordinating a discussion between all relevant departments, public entities and stakeholders to examine and assess the socioeconomic opportunities of sustainable ocean use and management for South Africa as a basis for developing a vibrant oceans economy,” Molewa explained.

Accordingly, the number of jobs linked to the ocean economy could rise to between 800 000 and one-million.