Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa

The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) submitted a consultation response to South Africa's draft Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), urging the integration of health linkages into climate policymaking. The submission argues that current emissions targets for 2026-2035 exceed the 1.5°C compatible trajectory and highlights the severe public health and economic burden of air pollution, which costs South Africa approximately USD 52 billion annually.

• The GCHA asserts that South Africa's current emissions targets for the periods 2026-2030 and 2031-2035 are not aligned with a 1.5°C compatible trajectory. According to the Presidential Climate Commission, a fair share of emissions reductions for the country by 2030 should be below 350 MtCo2.
• Particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) causes significant mortality and morbidity in South Africa. In 2023, PM2.5 exposure resulted in an estimated 42,000 deaths, including more than 1,200 children under five, accounting for 8% of all deaths in the country. It is also linked to 47,000 underweight births and 43,000 preterm births annually, as well as tens of thousands of years lived with disability (YLDs) from conditions such as diabetes (64,000 YLDs), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (26,000 YLDs), stroke (20,000 YLDs), and Alzheimer and other dementias (19,000 YLDs).
• Air pollution imposes a massive economic burden on South Africa, totaling approximately USD 52 billion (R960 billion) annually due to preterm births and loss of life, which represents about 14% of the national GDP. Additionally, pollution-related health issues result in an estimated 30 million days of work absences annually.
• The GCHA recommends several improvements to the draft NDC to better protect public health, including the development of integrated surveillance systems linking climate and health data, and the inclusion of specific progress indicators for early warning systems, such as the number of municipalities with actionable response plans. They also suggest that the Department of Health be involved in monitoring outcomes across health-determining sectors.
• To ensure accountability and secure climate finance, the GCHA proposes that the final NDC specify the required adaptation investments for 2026-2035 and identify the sources of finance for each adaptation goal.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2025). Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/South-Africa-NDC-Submission_Health-Contributions.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa. 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/South-Africa-NDC-Submission_Health-Contributions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa |date=August 2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/South-Africa-NDC-Submission_Health-Contributions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalclimateandhealthalliance2025consultation, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/South-Africa-NDC-Submission_Health-Contributions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }