SA warned of global warming
2008-05-20 20:02
Cape Town - The negative effects of global warming will reach catastrophic proportions if drastic measures to mitigate the phenomenon were not put in place in time, Environmental and Tourism Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk said on Tuesday.
Addressing the National Assembly during the department's budget vote debate, Van Schalkwyk said South Africans would pay a heavy price if nothing was done to reduce the country's current greenhouse gas emissions.
"We have become one of the most energy-efficient countries in the world and we are Africa's largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
"If we continue a 'business as usual' approach we will effectively quadruple our greenhouse gas emissions by 2015, and in the process become an international pariah," he said.
Due to the seriousness of the problem, the environmental and tourism department had resolved to embark on a in-depth analysis of the phenomenon to ensure that a lasting solution was found.
"There will be a price for carbon"
To this effect, an interim report on the Long Term Mitigation Scenario (LTMS) study which would provide guidelines for the country's long-term climate policy, was presented to Cabinet two weeks ago.
"The product of this work has been discussed at the highest levels of government and industry and with every sector of society - and it is clear that substantially reducing our emissions is possible, even highly desirable in some cases, but will not be easy," Van Schalkwyk said.
Briefing the media earlier on Tuesday, Van Schalkwyk could not confirm whether the envisaged policy would see companies being penalised for carbon emissions.
"There will be a price for carbon, but we do not know what form it will take," he said.
However, government would not take reckless decisions that would unduly inconvenience citizens.
"It would be hugely irresponsible for us to implement an ill-informed strategy that could have dire consequences for our people and our economy," he said.
- SAPA