Climate Change

‘Climate Change’, as we use the term today, refers to changes in the world’s climate induced by the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere by human activities, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Unless we reduce the emissions and prepare society for the impacts of the expected changes, our natural, social and economic systems will be impacted to a point where decent living conditions will become impossible to maintain.

The Climate Change Directorate coordinates the provincial response to climate change. Our aim is to integrate response actions into the social and economic developmental service delivery goals of the Western Cape Government.

We currently have the newly revised Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy: Vision 2050 to guide us - a strategy and pathway which aims to achieve a climate resilient province by 2040 and to be a net Zero Emitter by 2050, with significant in-roads made in the strategy implementation by 2030.

The Strategy is transversal, providing policy direction for sector departments, municipalities and implementation partners outside government to collectively achieve the vision.

The vision expressed in the Strategy is a net zero emissions and climate resilient province by 2050, built on an equitable and inclusive economy and society that thrives despite the shocks and stresses posed by climate change. These goals match similar commitments made by subnational governments all over the world, in the City of Cape Town and South Africa as a whole.

Four guiding objectives give structure to the Strategy:

1. Responding to the climate emergency;
2. Transitioning in an equitable and inclusive manner to net zero emissions by 2050;
3. Reducing climate risks and increasing resilience;
4. Enabling a Just Transition through public sector, private sector and civil society collaboration.

The updated Strategy furthermore aligns with the economic growth ambitions of the Western Cape insofar as it supports the need for a green and low-carbon economic recovery. 

OUR SERVICES

• Coordinate the Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy, and the Climate Change Response Forum and Work Group
• Coordinate and provide technical advice on integrating climate change responses across all sectors
• Undertake climate change policy and strategy development and implementation support
• Catalyse climate change research, knowledge development, partnerships and financing
• Lead the coordination of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions reporting
• Provide climate change Municipal Support

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