Minister Molewa’s 2012 Budget Vote Speech for DEA: Climate change, Rio+20, Green Economy jobs, EIAs, Waste Strategy and rhino poaching

Minister Molewa's 2012 Budget Vote Speech details South Africa's commitment to a 'just transition' to a low-carbon, green economy. Key initiatives include the implementation of the National Climate Change Response Policy, the rollout of a 800 million Rand Green Fund, and the creation of biodiversity jobs through SANBI. The speech also addresses the National Waste Management Strategy, the fight against rhino poaching through SADC collaboration and CITES engagement, and the streamlining of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to balance economic growth with sustainability.

• South Africa is implementing the National Climate Change Response Policy to achieve a 'just transition' toward a climate-resilient, lower-carbon, and job-creating economy. This includes defining emission reduction outcomes based on sectoral mitigation potential and developing long-term adaptation scenarios for water, agriculture, forestry, and biodiversity.
• The National Treasury has allocated 800 million Rands to the Green Fund over two financial years to provide catalytic finance for high-impact green economy projects. The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has been appointed as the implementing agency.
• To address skills gaps in the green economy, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) will manage an incubation program placing up to 800 unemployed school-leavers and graduates in biodiversity jobs for two and a half years, supported by 300 million Rands from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
• Environmental programs, specifically 'Working for Water' and 'Working on Fire', are significant drivers of employment and ecological value. The total budget for these programs over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is 7.7 billion Rands, aiming to provide 205,877 work opportunities and 102,603 full-time equivalent jobs.
• The department is reforming Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) by developing a National Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Strategy and introducing standards for listed activities to replace certain prior authorization requirements and encourage self-regulation.
• To combat rhino poaching, South Africa is focusing on SADC collaboration for Transfrontier Conservation Areas and engaging with consumer countries, specifically China and Vietnam. The government is also considering a proposal to the international community to trade in rhino horn ahead of CITES COP16.
• The National Waste Management Strategy, aligned with the Waste Act, focuses on recycling, SMME development, and Extended Producer Responsibility. To improve landfill management, the department has trained 325 operators from 164 municipalities.

APA

Melissa (2012). Minister Molewa’s 2012 Budget Vote Speech for DEA: Climate change, Rio+20, Green Economy jobs, EIAs, Waste Strategy and rhino poaching. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/minister-molewas-2012-budget-vote-speech-for-dea-climate-change-rio20-green-economy-jobs-eias-waste-strategy-and-rhino-poaching

Chicago

Melissa. Minister Molewa’s 2012 Budget Vote Speech for DEA: Climate change, Rio+20, Green Economy jobs, EIAs, Waste Strategy and rhino poaching. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2012. https://cer.org.za/news/minister-molewas-2012-budget-vote-speech-for-dea-climate-change-rio20-green-economy-jobs-eias-waste-strategy-and-rhino-poaching.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Melissa |title=Minister Molewa’s 2012 Budget Vote Speech for DEA: Climate change, Rio+20, Green Economy jobs, EIAs, Waste Strategy and rhino poaching |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=2 May 2012 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/minister-molewas-2012-budget-vote-speech-for-dea-climate-change-rio20-green-economy-jobs-eias-waste-strategy-and-rhino-poaching |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{melissa2012minister, author = {Melissa}, title = {{Minister Molewa’s 2012 Budget Vote Speech for DEA: Climate change, Rio+20, Green Economy jobs, EIAs, Waste Strategy and rhino poaching}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/minister-molewas-2012-budget-vote-speech-for-dea-climate-change-rio20-green-economy-jobs-eias-waste-strategy-and-rhino-poaching}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }