In March 2022 South Africa's Treasury issued the first edition of its Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. The taxonomy defines a minimum set of assets, projects, activities and sectors that are eligible to be defined as "green" in line with international best practice and national priorities. It is intended to be used by legislators, executive actors and regulators, as well as by the financial services industry. Use of the taxonomy is not mandatory.

This strategy notably aims to reduce the waste sector's carbon footprint, and make use of biogas.

This plan enables South Africa's stimulus package to combat the COVID-19-induced economic crisis. The plan notably seeks to increase the use of green infrastructure bonds and green climate finance, pursue green industrialisation and other green economy interventions.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) provides a common vision of climate change adaptation and climate resilience for South Africa, and outlines priority areas for achieving this vision. It draws on South Africa's National Climate Change Response Policy (NCCRP) (DEA 2011), the National Development Plan (NDP) (NPC 2011), the adaptation commitments included in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), sector adaptation plans, provincial adaptation plans and local government adaptation plans. The main objective of the document is to provide guidance across all levels of government, sectors, and stakeholders affected by climate variability and change. It should also serve as the country's National Adaptation Plan and fulfils the commitment to its international obligations under the Paris Agreement. It is divided into sets of strategic objectives, interventions and outcomes with associated actions.

This strategy builds on existing executive document and aims at enabling&nbsp;low-carbon growth trajectory while making a fair contribution to the global effort to limit the average temperature increase, while ensuring a just transition and building of the country's resilience to climate change.&nbsp;

The Carbon Tax Act (Act No. 15 of 2019) aims to provide for the imposition of a tax on the carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions. It defines the calculation of the tax and its application to different activities. The Act includes three annexes containing the fuel combustion emissions factors, fugitive emission factors, industrial processes and product use (IPPU) emission factors, a matrix with the activities sectors and their percentage of allowances, and the amendment of the Customs and Excise Act (1964) regarding the inclusion of the Carbon Tax. The document is notably based on the May 2013's <a href="https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Carbon-Tax-Policy-Paper-2013.pdf">Carbon Tax Policy Paper</a>. In a <a href="http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2022/speech/speech.pdf">National Budget Speech in February 2022</a>, the finance minister announced that the carbon tax rate would increase to R144, effective from January 1st, 2022.

The 2009 Budget introduced an ad valorem CO2 emissions tax on new passenger motor vehicles. However, it was later recommended that the original tax proposal be converted into a flat rate CO2 emissions tax, effective from 1 September 2010. The emissions tax has initially been applied to passenger cars, and extended to commercial vehicles once agreed CO2 standards for these vehicles are set. New passenger cars will be taxed based on their certified CO2 emissions at ZAR75 (USD6.77) per g/km for each g/km above 120 g/km. This emissions tax will be in addition to the current ad valorem luxury tax on new vehicles.

Amends the 1962 Income Tax Act. Section 12K - 'Exemption of certified emission reductions' - grants income tax exemption to the sale of certified emission reductions derived from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the context of the Kyoto Protocol. The measure has been applied since February 2009 and has been extended until December 2020. 
Section 12L grants income tax reductions for energy efficiency savings from certified baselines based on 'energy efficiency savings certificates' issued by an organ determined by Regulations from the Ministry of Energy. These regulations are in tune with the National Energy Act, 2008. The measure applies to the taxable income of any persons in any year of assessment until 1 January 2020.

The primary purposes of this law are 1) to determine South Africa's coastal zones, 2) to provide for the co-ordinated and integrated coastal zone management by all spheres of government, 3) to preserve, protect, extend, and enhance the status of coastal public property as being held in trust by South Africa's government, 4) to secure equitable access to the opportunities and benefits of coastal public property, and 5) to give effect to the Republic's international legal obligations regarding coastal management and the marine environment. Specifically, this law defines coastal public property and coastal protection zones, and outlines the federal, provincial, and municipal government responsibilities regarding such property and in such zones. It mandates that the member of the Executive Council responsible for administering this law take into account the "potential for the number and severity of natural disasters to increase due to the effects of global climate change and other impacts on the environment, and the importance of taking preventive measures to address these threats." This Act establishes a system of integrated coastal and estuarine management in South Africa. The Act provides, within the framework of the National Environmental Management Act, for the coordinated and integrated management of the coastal zone by all spheres of government (national, provincial and municipal) in accordance with the principles of cooperative governance. It was amended by the Act No. 36 of 2014 called "National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Amendment Act" mainly to amend certain definitions, clarify coastal public property and the ownership of structures erected on and in coastal public property, among other things.

The bill seeks to ensure the availability of diverse energy resources to the economy while supporting economic growth and poverty alleviation. To this end, it intends to provide for energy planning, increased generation and consumption of renewable energies, contingency energy supply, energy feedstock and carriers, and energy infrastructure. It further establishes the South African National Energy Development Institute, responsible for promoting efficient generation and consumption of energy and energy research. 
 
The Minister of Energy is charged with implementing the Integrated Energy Plan, dealing with all issues related to energy (supply, transformation, storage and demand) including plans related to GHG mitigation within the energy sector. 
 
The South African National Energy Development Institute is responsible for promoting energy research and development. This function includes, among other things, directing, monitoring, conducting and implementing energy research and technology development in all fields except nuclear energy; fostering innovation, by making grants to educational and scientific institutions.

Submission by South Africa to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and Subsidiary Body for Implementation on the possible approach to the consideration of the outputs component of the first Global Stocktake, Submission to the Global Stocktake from South Africa in 2023

South Africa. Biennial update report (BUR). BUR 4., Biennial Update Report from South Africa in 2021

South Africa.Biennial update report (BUR). BUR 4. National inventory report., National Inventory Report from South Africa in 2021

South Africa First NDC (Updated submission), Nationally Determined Contribution,Adaptation Communication from South Africa in 2021

South Africa's Low Emission Development Strategy 2050, Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy from South Africa in 2020

Drought Management Plan

Law passed

South Africa's Drought Management Plan has four key areas of focus: institutional arrangements, integrated institutional capacity, disaster risk assessment and reduction planning, and response and recovery.

The plan proposes a number of specific actions, including creating and maintaining an information management system, monitoring and evaluation, conducting research (including research specifically about climate change), giving technical assistance to provincial agricultural departments' drought assessments, implementing early warning systems, incorporating drought into disaster risk reduction programs, procuring funds from the national treasury, and encouraging participation in disaster risk and drought reduction programs at all levels of government.

Drought Management Plan

Main documents

Timeline

Note

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