Ahead of this year’s pivotal election, three of South Africa’s leading political parties will debate their strategies for tackling the burning issue of climate change on SAfm on Tuesday, 7 May from 10am to 11am.
 
The guests for this discussion will be environment minister Barbara Creecy (for the ANC), shadow minister Dave Bryant (for the DA) and Mogamad Nazier Paulsen (for the EFF). The session will be led by SAfm radio host Cathy Mohlahlana.
 
The United Nations has identified climate change as the “largest, most pervasive threat to the natural environment and societies the world has ever experienced”.
 
In its latest assessments, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that our planet has already experienced a 1.1° C global temperature rise, and the latest science indicates that the whole of 2023 exceeded the Paris Agreement’s 1.5° C target.
 
This is resulting in changes to the climate system that are unparalleled in human history, from rising sea levels to extreme weather events.
 
In South Africa, we are already seeing the impact of erratic weather patterns, floods and droughts, yet many consider climate change a distant prospect that can be dealt with in the future. Science informs us differently.
 
Moreover, while many consider addressing climate to be secondary to developmental needs, the evidence is that failure to address climate impacts will undermine many developmental gains.
 
With the World Bank highlighting that climate change could drive an additional 132 million people into extreme poverty by 2030 through impacts on agriculture, health, labour productivity and additional natural disasters, it is clear that mitigating climate change and building resilience must be central to developmental goals.
 
What we seek to have answered during this debate is what policies political parties are putting forward to address this existential challenge, how they plan to tackle the necessary transition away from fossil fuels, and how they will ensure justice in the transition process.
 
You can catch the live stream on SAfm and WWF’s digital platforms on the day.