Submission on the Climate Change Bill

Natural Justice submitted a statement expressing deep concern that the South African Climate Change Bill fails to address the urgency of the climate crisis, lacks ambitious emission targets, and omits necessary funding and capacity-building for implementation.

• The Bill is criticized for a lack of urgency, specifically regarding the absence of strict timeframes for implementation and the failure to reference the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5°C and 2°C.
• Natural Justice argues that the Bill fails to recognize the government's responsibility to protect constitutional rights—including rights to life, dignity, and access to food and water—which are threatened by the climate crisis.
• The document identifies significant gaps in transparency, public participation, and nature-based solutions, noting that the Bill does not recognize forest protection and restoration as a climate solution.
• The Bill is described as weak regarding implementation and governance, as it places burdens on municipalities, provinces, and ministerial departments without providing for funding or capacity-building.
• To meet Paris Agreement commitments, Natural Justice asserts that South Africa must phase out coal, gas, and oil, and that the Bill must incentivize a just transition to clean energy.

APA

Natural Justice (2022). Submission on the Climate Change Bill. https://naturaljustice.org/publication/submission-climate-change-bill-south-africa/

Chicago

Natural Justice. Submission on the Climate Change Bill. 2022. https://naturaljustice.org/publication/submission-climate-change-bill-south-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=Submission on the Climate Change Bill |date=21 June 2022 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/publication/submission-climate-change-bill-south-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljustice2022submission, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Submission on the Climate Change Bill}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/publication/submission-climate-change-bill-south-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }