Consultation Submission on the Draft NDC of South Africa

The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) argues that South Africa's draft NDC should align emissions targets with a 1.5°C trajectory to avoid health hazards and better quantify the health-related costs of air pollution. The submission recommends developing integrated climate-health surveillance systems, expanding the reach of impact-based early warning systems to rural areas, and engaging the Department of Health across sectors to maximize co-benefits. It highlights that PM2.5 air pollution caused an estimated 42,000 deaths in 2023 and costs the economy approximately USD 52 billion annually, suggesting that meeting WHO guidelines could save 30,000 lives per year.

• South Africa's current emissions targets for 2026-2035 exceed the 1.5°C compatible trajectory of below 350 MtCo2 recommended by the Presidential Climate Commission, which the GCHA argues threatens population health.
• Particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) in South Africa caused an estimated 42,000 deaths in 2023, including over 1,200 children under five, and results in approximately 47,000 underweight and 43,000 preterm births annually.
• The economic impact of air pollution health costs in South Africa is approximately USD 52 billion (R960 billion) per year, which is roughly 14% of the national GDP.
• Achieving WHO air quality guidelines would dramatically reduce deaths in South Africa to 12,000, representing a 72% reduction and saving 30,000 lives annually compared to current levels.

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} }