climate change and municipalities

North-South Local Government Co-operation Conference

24th- 27th November 2009, Mwanza Tanzania

CLIMATE CHANGE AND MUNICIPALITIES

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About SALGA

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The Structure of the SA governance system

• Three spheres of government– National Government– 9 provincial Governments– 283 local governments

• SALGA an institutional embodiment of the local sphere of government; recognized in terms of the constitution

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• Represent LG (Voice) on policy matters that will affect municipalities – e.g. SALGA is part of the IGR committees on climate change and will be part of the country’s delegation to COP15

• Advisor to municipalities• Employer role

• limited to representing municipalities in collective employer processes

• Does not employ on behalf of municipalities

• Profiling LG

Mandate

SALGA

• A platform for: Consolidating and communicating local government

perspectives Sharing experiences and practices among

municipalities Facilitating national and provincial government

consultation and communication with municipalities Accountability of municipalities???

To the association i.e. to each other as members of the association

• However SALGA currently an association municipalities not an authority of LG

SALGA IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL OTHERSNational Provincial Other

•Parliament•NCOP•Departments

•Legislatures•Departments

DBSAFFCDonorsWorld BankCivil SocietyUCLGACLGFEtc...

283 Municipalities

S A L G AS A L G A

SALGA’s ROLESALGA’s ROLE

Climate Change

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BACKGROUND

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Human activities cause climate change

•The pink band - Models using both “natural” and anthropogenic forcing•The solid line – Observed temperatures•The blue band - Models using only “natural” forcing

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Human activities cause climate change

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– Major changes in climatic patterns– Wind direction, speed and cloud formation– Resulting in changes in rainfall patters (drought, floods)– Floods in areas that are adapted to low rainfall– Drought in areas that are adapted regular rainfall – Increase in the frequency and intensity of both floods and droughts

– Effects– Extinction and changes in the distribution of plant and animal species– Increased damage to infrastructure– Sea level rise and related increased erosion of coastal areas– Decreased food security– Decreased water availability– Increased heat stress– Higher energy consumption– Increased economic losses

EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

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• Need to ADAPT to the impacts and MITIGATE (reduce) greenhouse gas emissions and we have to do it NOW– even if we could stop all GHG emissions now, temperature will

continue to rise – so we have to adapt to changes– There will come a time when we cannot “adapt” our way out of the

problem – so we have to mitigate to avoid unimaginable impacts• No country, region or continent can go it alone – Climate Change

adaptation and mitigation need global action• The key economic and equity challenges that the climate change

negotiations face is “how to share the little remaining carbon space” while at the same time “giving developing countries a fair chance in the development space”.

• Countries have different historical responsibilities for emissions in the past but share a common responsibility for the future.

• The developed world must take the lead with deep emission cuts and provision of finance for developing country adaptation and mitigation

HOW TO RESPOND?

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International negotiations processes

• The legal framework for the climate change negotiations is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which sets out the principles, objectives and provisions for dealing with global warming

• The aim of the negotiations is to reach an agreement on the future of the international climate change regime beyond 2012, at the 15th session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP-15) in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009 14


• The UNFCCC’s objective has 2 parts:– Stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations (at a level

which prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system); and

– Ensuring that this takes place within a time frame sufficient to:

• allow natural ecosystems to adapt to climate change; • ensure that food production is not threatened; and • enable sustainable economic development.

• The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2007 in Bali, Indonesia determined a Roadmap for Nations towards a post-Kyoto Framework on Climate Change for the period after 2012 which will be negotiated at the. 15


• The Convention distinguishes between: i. developed countries and economies in transition (Annex I

Parties); and

ii. developing countries (Non-Annex 1 Parties).

• The Bali Roadmap and Action Plan sets up a balanced negotiation of:

a) legally binding quantified emission reduction commitments for developed countries that are Party to the Kyoto Protocol (the Kyoto Track);

b) comparable binding emission reduction commitments for developed countries that have not joined the Kyoto Protocol (specifically the USA); and

c) further measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) action by developing countries on condition that technology, finance and capacity building support is provided by Developed Countries that is also MRV (the Convention track). 16


• Negotiations under the Convention track focus on long-term cooperative action, now up to and beyond 2012, and address 5 elements namely; adaptation, mitigation, financing, technology transfer and a shared vision.

• Given that the USA has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the USA mitigation commitments will be negotiated in this forum, and must be comparable with the mitigation commitments by others under the Kyoto Protocol.

• Negotiations under the Kyoto Protocol track are mandated to reach an agreement on quantified legally binding mitigation targets for the second and subsequent commitment periods for Annex I Parties, as well as improvements to the Kyoto market mechanisms and rules.

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The Political dynamics

• Web of political conditionalities that underpin the negotiations• The EU cannot make further mitigation commitment above the unilateral 20%

emission reduction below 1990 levels in 2020 they have already announced, without the USA making a mitigation commitment that is comparable and in line with the science

• The USA will not make any commitment without its major economic competitors in the developing world taking on some binding commitment (specifically identified countries are China, India, Brazil and South Africa)

• These countries, in turn, will not be separated from other developing countries in the Group of 77 & China and consequently the political priorities of development, poverty eradication and adaptation to the impacts of climate change are central in the negotiations.

• Developing countries have contributed very little to the current climate crisis, and consider that the developed countries, who are historically responsible for the emissions, are the ones that must make the ambitious, quantified, legally binding commitments to absolute emissions reductions, in line with the requirements of science. 18

The Political dynamics

• Developing countries will continue to take mitigation action, resulting in reductions relative to baseline, if provided with the necessary technology, finance and capacity building support.

• The Group of 77 is also divided, with OPEC countries on the one extreme delaying progress, small islands developing states on the other extreme with positions that go beyond what is required by science, Africa and other Least Developed Countries focussing on poverty eradication, development and adaptation

• Year 2009 has therefore, been characterised by low political optimism and widening of the gap in trust between developed and developing countries.

– The global financial crisis, – Fading hopes for leadership from the USA and a lack of leadership from other

developed countries,

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Developing countries initial position

• Two track approach– Kyoto Track – amendment– Convention track - a supplemental legally binding

instrument interpreted with UNFCCC & KP– Legal linkage between Kyoto & convention legal

instruments to address the USA (as non-Kyoto Party) & who must take legally binding target comparable to Kyoto Parties

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• Deal must:– be inclusive, fair and effective; – balance between adaptation and mitigation– balance development and climate

imperatives. • Shared vision that solving the climate

problem only possible if in the context of:– Developing countries' priorities of food

security, poverty eradication and promoting development.

– Equity & differentiated responsibility for the past but common responsibility for the future


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• On Adaptation: – A comprehensive international program on adaptation, – Prioritise Africa - immediate & future impacts– Upscaled finance, technology and capacity building.

• On Mitigation: – legally binding emission reduction commitments for

developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol– USA-comparable, binding reduction commitment &

compliance under the Convention. – framework for mitigation action by developing countries,

supported and enabled by finance, technology and capacity building i.e. No legally binding targets


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• On Finance, Technology, Capacity building– Essential to build resilient economies and to

“leapfrog” to low carbon growth and development – Integrated means of implementation mechanism – Massively scaled up, predictable & sustainable

flows (1% of Global GDP – i.e. approx $400 bn by 2020 of which 25% for adaptation)

– Mobilised from multiple sources – including: assessed contribution, carbon market, bilateral, IFI’s & private sector

– Governance – needs and country driven, direct access, equitable distribution


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Climate change and municipalities

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A “Glocal” challenge

• Although climate change is a global problem that knows no political boundaries its impacts will differ locally

• Influenced by a community’s vulnerability to climate variables and its ability to respond to the new stresses

• The ‘adaptive capacity’ of a local area, is influenced by economic resources, information and skills, infrastructure, institutions and equity levels

• Resource-poor or marginalized communities (most African communities!) are often the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. 25

Climate change and the functions of municipalities

• In SA municipalities have executive authority in respect of, among others:– air pollution (and related data capture)– building regulation– electricity and gas reticulation – fire-fighting services– water and sanitation services– municipal public transport– domestic waste– storm-water management– disaster management– local governance and community participation 26

Climate change and the functions of municipalities

• Many of the interventions to curb climate change and adapt to its impacts fall within the ambit of local government responsibilities.

• These include: – energy efficiency (efficient lighting, thermally efficient buildings,

efficient heating and ventilation, water consumption reduction, efficient industrial motors),

– transport modal shifts, – community awareness and behaviour change– new planning approaches to urban development – renewable energy consumption (solar water heating, wind farm

development, landfill gas to energy, ‘green’ electricity purchase, biogas digestion)

– infrastructure development (water, waste, storm water, energy)– disaster management.

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Different roles for municipalities

• Larger towns have an important role to play in supporting national commitments to emissions reductions.

• For all African municipalities, though on differing scales, the pressing issues of poverty and growth need to be met with new, low carbon, sustainable development approaches.

• In the prevalent context of dwindling revenue bases, this is enormously challenging.

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Issues for consideration from a LG perspective

• Many of the mitigation and adaptation activities in response to climate change require implementation at the local level.

• Local government must therefore be acknowledged as a key partner in a country role as a global citizen.

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• The concept of climate change is new to many local government players (politicians, officials and the general public)

• The subject of climate change and its relationship to municipal service delivery needs to be effectively communicated in order to obtain the important local response.

• Political time horizons are at odds with the longer-term planning and decision making required by the climate change challenge

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• The municipal service delivery in a context of dwindling revenue and resource bases and climate change presents an additional burden to already overburdened municipal staff and resources

• It is critical that mandates relating to climate change response are clear and adequately funded.

• Municipal rates and service charges should not solely carry the burden of expensive adaptative action and investment in mitigative technology

• Establishment of national climate change fund

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• Local governments of developing countries, especially in Africa, have not been participating in the carbon trading linked to the clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.

• This is largely due to lack of knowledge and the transaction costs

• Countries need to establish capacities to assist their municipalities to register projects and benefit from carbon trading – it is crucial that the Kyoto Protocol carbon trading mechanism continues into the future

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Proposed way forward for the co-operation

• The likely failure of COP 15 to result in a binding agreement will not diminish the need to act now

• Local governments will be faced with pressures to act now, especially in respect of adaptation and sustainable development

• Need finance, technology and capacity building• North-South co-operation should consider building

capacity of associations to support municipalities in climate mitigation and adaptation, especially in respect of facilitating participation on carbon trading and technology transfer

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ASANTE - ENKOSI

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climate change and municipalities

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