SOUTH AFRICA’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION (INDC)

This discussion document outlines South Africa's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) as of August 2015, detailing the country's planned approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation. The document emphasizes a 'peak, plateau and decline' emissions trajectory and stresses that climate action must be balanced with the national priority of eliminating poverty and inequality by 2030.

• South Africa's mitigation strategy is based on a 'peak, plateau and decline' (PPD) greenhouse gas emissions trajectory. Emissions are expected to peak between 2020 and 2025, plateau for approximately a decade, and then decline in absolute terms. The target range for emissions by 2025 and 2030 is between 398 and 614 Mt CO2–eq, with a long-term aspirational goal of 212 to 428 Mt CO2–eq by 2050.
• The adaptation component of the INDC is structured around six goals for the 2021-2030 period. These include developing a National Adaptation Plan by 2020, building institutional capacity, and creating an early warning system for key sectors by 2025/2030. South Africa estimates its annual adaptation investment needs at $US 0.17bn per annum.
• South Africa identifies significant incremental investment requirements for long-term mitigation. These include $3 billion per year to expand the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REI4P) over the next ten years, $349 billion for decarbonised electricity by 2050, and $513 billion for electric vehicles between 2010 and 2050.
• The document argues that adaptation is a global responsibility due to structural inequities, noting that poor countries are least responsible for climate change but most vulnerable. South Africa views its own adaptation investments—which increased from $US 0.64 bn to $US 2.31 bn between 2010 and 2015—as a contribution to the global effort.
• South Africa's climate response is integrated with its National Development Plan (NDP), which aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequalities by 2030. The document states that 'Zero poverty is over-riding and crucial priority', and that the transition to a low-carbon economy must be 'just' and mindful of the time required for development.
• The document highlights a discrepancy between South Africa's PPD trajectory and various equity-based carbon budget analyses. While SA experts suggest a carbon budget of 20-22 Gt CO2-eq for 2016-2050, other analyses, such as those by Chinese and Indian researchers, allocate significantly less (7 to 11 Gt CO2–eq for 2000–2049).

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2015). SOUTH AFRICA’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION (INDC). https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/South-Africa-INDC.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SOUTH AFRICA’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION (INDC). 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/South-Africa-INDC.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SOUTH AFRICA’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION (INDC) |date=1 August 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/South-Africa-INDC.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2015south, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SOUTH AFRICA’S INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION (INDC)}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/South-Africa-INDC.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }