The Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture welcomes the Climate Change Bill assent into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The President’s signing of the climate change bill into law signals a significant milestone in our country’s commitment to addressing climate change. The act sets out a national climate change response, including mitigation and adaptation actions, which also constitutes South Africa’s fair contribution to the global climate change response.

In responding to the Climate Change Bill becoming law, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, also commended the role played by all South Africans in the formulation of the act. “As we implement the act, we welcome the active engagement of citizens, workers and businesses, to move to low-emissions and climate resilient development,” he said.

The Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture is proud to have also contributed in these engagements and did a presentation on the Climate Change Bill to the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in September 2022.

During the Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture presentation, Project Manager and Working on Fire Managing Director, Trevor Abrahams said at the time that the threat posed by extreme wildland fires, which is expected to grow exponentially under the effects of climate change, should be addressed by legislation intended to mitigate the impact of climate change.

The Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture is already working with various stakeholders such as the National Disaster Management Centre to ensure that South Africa has adequate climate change risk mitigation procedures and resources in place.