Department of Environmental Affairs and the MDGs: Involvement, Actions and Issues Briefing by DEA to the Portfolio Committee 24 August 2011

2 FOCUS OF THE PRESENTATION To provide a brief overview of the Millennium Declaration and the associated Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) To provide a summary of the indicators and targets under goal 7 (Environmental Sustainability) To present information on those indicators that the DEA reports on i.t.o status, targets and actions To highlight critical issues and institutional challenges when reporting

INTRODUCTION TO THE MDGs In September 2000, the world’s leaders signed the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit The eight MDGs with 20 targets and 60 indicators call for –a dramatic reduction in poverty and marked improvements in the health and well- being of the poor. – Where possible, the MDG targets are given as quantified, time-bound values for specific indicators to better facilitate the monitoring and reporting process. Countries report to the UN Secretary General on a 5 year basis leading up to the 2015 target (reference year 1990) The 8 MDG Goals are: 1.To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2.To achieve universal primary education 3.To promote gender equality and empower women 4.To reduce child mortality 5.To improve maternal health 6.To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7.To ensure environmental sustainability (underpins the achievement of the majority of the other seven goals) 8.To develop a global partnership for development 3

Characteristics of MDGs: Time-bound goals Quantifiable targets Internationally agreed upon indicators MDGs act as guidelines and indicators for measuring levels of development Reference period for MDGs For South Africa, start of reference period is 1994 INTRODUCTION CONT… 4

SUMMARY OF GOAL & TARGETS WITH INDICATORS 5 Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability Indicators Target 7a and b: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and program and reverse the loss of environmental resources Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss Proportion of land area covered by forest CO 2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP) Consumption of ozone-depleting substances Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected Number of species (vegetation) threatened with extinction Number of legally designated landfill sites Target 7c: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural Proportion of population with access to improved sanitation Target 7d: Have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers Proportion of households with access to secure tenure Proportion of urban population living in slums Proportion of households with access to electricity Proportion of population using solid fuels as primary source of energy

6 DEA’s RESPONSE TO TWO TARGETS UNDER GOAL 7 Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss Specific indicators focussed on include: CO 2 emissions, total, per capita & per $1 GDP Consumption of ozone depleting substances Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected Number of species (vegetation) threatened with extinction Number of legally designated landfill sites (Domesticated indicator) Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits (not reported on in 2010 country report as no methodology available at time)

7 DEA’S INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE TO TARGET 7a AND 7b Section 24 of the Constitution: All South Africans have a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations. The Department is compelled to take reasonable steps to prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation and secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources Developed National Framework for Sustainable Development (NFSD) Developed the draft National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) Various policies and Acts developed and implemented to protect and enhance the environment National Environmental Management Act National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act National Biodiversity Framework National Environmental Management: Waste Act & National Waste Management Strategy White paper on Climate Change Policy

8 Current status, targets and actions as related to each indicator

CO 2 EMISSIONS, TOTAL, PER CAPITA & PER $1 GDP Category1994 Baseline2010 StatusTargetAchievability Possible CO 2 emissions in total (Gg) (2007) A 34% reduction of “Business as Usual” by 2020 and 42% reduction by 2025 CO 2 emissions per capita (Mt) (2007) CO 2 emissions per 1$ GDP (Kg) (2007) 9 Earliest available data at the time

WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN (CO 2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)) Long Term Mitigation Scenarios in place – climate change policy direction Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2 nd National Communication White paper on Climate Change Policy Integrated Resource Plan Fiscal Instruments draft policy & the Carbon Tax discussion paper 10

CONSUMPTION OF OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES 11 Category1994 Baseline 2010 StatusTargetAchievability Likely HCFC (ODPTons) (2008) Freeze by 2013 and phase out by 2040 BCM (ODPTons) 14.4 (2003) 0 (2009) MeBr (ODPTons) (2008) Phase out by 2015

WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Consumption of ozone-depleting substances ODS Regulations and the hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) survey and management plan Report and database on ODS consumption Development of an Integrated Permitting System for export/imports under MEAs: – Allows for International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) to become the point of contact for all importers and exporters, and relevant regulatory departments to be consulted as required in the process. –System for implementation of the Harmonised System (HS) codes is underway. 12

PROPORTION OF TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE AREAS PROTECTED 13 Category1994 Baseline 2010 StatusTargetAchievability Possible Terrestrial (%) (2010) 9 Marine (%)06.54 (2010) 14

WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected National park expansion strategy National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act National Protected Areas Database National Biodiversity Framework: –providing for an integrated, co-ordinated and uniform approach to biodiversity management in South Africa, –It highlights the major pressures on biodiversity in South Africa, –identifies priority actions for conserving biodiversity, –and sets out the implications of these priority actions for agencies that will lead their implementation. The NBF forms the blueprint for conservation of biodiversity in South Africa. 14

NUMBER OF SPECIES (VEGETATION) THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION Please note that due to a change in calculation methodology these values differ slightly from those presented in the official MDG report 15 Category1994 Baseline 2010 Status TargetAchievability Possible Vegetation (Number) 727 (1996) 2577 (2009) Reduce the number of Species threatened with extinction(Target as set out in the Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement Document)

WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Proportion of species (vegetation) threatened with extinction National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in place National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act in place –Lists of threatened species & those needing protection Protected Species Regulations –regulate the movement and subsequent activities involving listed wildlife species on a national basis. National park expansion strategy in place (protecting habitat for species) Contracting private/communal owned land as conservation areas 16

NUMBER OF LEGALLY DESIGNATED LANDFILL SITES 17 Category1994 Baseline 2010 Status TargetAchievability Possible NumberNo Data817 (2010) Increase the number of permitted landfill sites by 80% by 2015 (Target as set out in the Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement Document) Please note that this indicator is a Domesticated Indicator (reported on in the 2010 MDG report but not part of the original MDG goal 7 indicator list)

WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Number of legally designated landfill sites National Environmental Management: Waste Act & National Waste Management Strategy Training programmes being rolled out for landfill site managers Currently, there are approximately 300 landfill sites that are unlicensed. So far DEA has assisted municipalities to have 117 waste disposal sites licensed. Criteria to reduce this backlog through means that include: a) exempting qualifying sites from full EIA processes; b) pursuing the less capital intensive authorization routes; and c) dealing with some of the sites through the contaminated land provisions of the waste act to save costs. –meeting the target of 80% landfills licensed will depend on the availability of resources, currently estimated at R980million. 18

INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES FACED DURING REPORTING Unavailability of methodology on some indicators No permanent reporting structure - StatsSA is in a process of establishing a permanent coordinating body Unavailability of data (relating to frequency of data updates) 19

RECOMMENDATIONS Portfolio Committee to take note of presentation, progress and actions 20