South Africa’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution

The submission argues that South Africa's draft NDC targets are insufficiently ambitious, aligning with a 3°C temperature increase rather than the 1.5°C or 2°C goals necessary to protect public health. It highlights the severe health risks posed by climate change in South Africa, including drought, heat, and infectious diseases, and notes that coal-fired power stations cause over 2,200 deaths annually. The authors advocate for a 'green' recovery from COVID-19, urging a shift from fossil fuel investments toward renewable energy and a commitment to phase out coal by 2034. The document proposes specific co-benefit policies in energy (e.g., adopting the Climate Justice Charter), food and agriculture (e.g., incentivizing urban agriculture), and transportation (e.g., electrifying public transit) to simultaneously reduce emissions and improve health outcomes.

• The authors contend that South Africa's draft NDC emission reduction targets are not ambitious enough, appearing to align with a 3°C temperature increase rather than the 2°C or 1.5°C goals required to safeguard public health.
• Coal-fired power generation in South Africa has significant negative health and economic impacts, causing more than 2,200 deaths per year and resulting in estimated health costs between ZAR 11 billion and ZAR 30 billion in 2018.
• Integrating health into climate mitigation policies could prevent significant annual deaths in South Africa by 2040: 94,500 from improved air quality, 35,000 from increased active travel, and 98,900 from healthier diets.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2021). South Africa’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/South-Africa-NDC_Submission-by-PHASA-SAMA-and-Amref.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. South Africa’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution. 2021. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/South-Africa-NDC_Submission-by-PHASA-SAMA-and-Amref.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=South Africa’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution |date=April 2021 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/South-Africa-NDC_Submission-by-PHASA-SAMA-and-Amref.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalclimateandhealthalliance2021south, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{South Africa’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/South-Africa-NDC_Submission-by-PHASA-SAMA-and-Amref.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }