Environmental preservation organisation World Wide Fund for Nature – South Africa (WWF-SA) has welcomed South Africa’s ratification of the milestone Paris agreement reached at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
South Africa will formally join the ranks of those that have ratified the Paris agreement and will ensure that the country has a seat at the negotiation table at the first meeting of these parties in Morocco later this month.
“By ratifying this global agreement within one year of its negotiation, South Africa continues to show its leadership on the international stage and ensures that its voice will be heard as governments pursue further discussions at the upcoming twenty-second COP to the UNFCCC,” WWF-SA CEO Dr Morné du Plessis commented.
He added that, as South Africa was now a formal party to the Paris agreement, it had an even greater responsibility to fight climate change and build a low-carbon future.
“This will require an even faster roll-out of renewable-energy systems, transitioning to low-carbon transport alternatives and putting in place the policy frameworks required to drive private sector investment in the right direction. However, the onus is not just on government but on all of us to ensure a better future,” he pointed out.
Du Plessis highlighted that global businesses had already started lowering their climate footprints, while progress in South Africa was lagging behind with only a few companies committed to action in line with climate science.
“This also requires citizens to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments while holding our government and corporate leaders accountable for delivering on their promises,” he added.