GOOD Speech by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
24 October 2023
Note to editor: This is the speech that was delivered by GOOD Secretary-General and Member of Parliament, Brett Herron, during today’s debate on the Climate Change Bill.
The Climate Change Bill is a commitment to the next generation of South Africans.
The rapidly changing climate was repeatedly revealed during last years KZN floodings and most recently on the African continent rocked by the tragic loss of 2900 Moroccan lives due to catastrophic earthquakes.
These are not isolated incidents, but rather an introduction to the future once you factor in our country’s challenges with rainfall, drought, violent storms and rising heat.
The gravitas of climate change cannot be underestimated nor ignored as science and research has already substantiated that the world cannot continue at its current pace should we want human life and our environment to be sustainable.
The bill we are discussing today is a commitment to preventing a catastrophic future and ensuring that the country is not only able to protect human lives but also that our government is fulfilling its role in protecting state assets, the economy and livelihoods from climate disasters.
GOOD acknowledges the 5603 citizens from all over the country who gave feedback and added their input into this bill which truly reflects that climate change is a universal issue that does not differentiate and will impact every South African.
In addition, the bill places a heavy emphasis on transparency and clear communication between government and the public.
This is the one of the most important aspects of this bill as we have seen in prior cases that environmental concerns can be hidden from the general public such as the case in the Karpowership fiasco.
Through the establishment of the Just Energy Transition Partnership it is clear that the whole world has their eyes on our nation and our commitment to cutting carbon emissions. Loadshedding, which reduces carbon emissions, is obviously depressingly unsustainable and we need to everything we can to speed up our efforts to meet our climate goals for 2030.
We cannot be the rainbow nation in the future if we live in an environment where rainbows aren’t even possible anymore. We support the Bill.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za