Climate change must be a central pillar of SA’s economic growth
The state of the union address is the right time for the president, who is wise to the perils of extreme weather, to make climate change an economic and societal imperative
Climate change and the risks associated with it should be a key part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address. How SA chooses to respond to climate change and its impact on the country will affect economic growth and social development for decades to come, yet climate change remains sidelined by the government and key sectors that are most vulnerable to its effects. The impacts of climate change are plain to see. Last year, Cape Town barely escaped a humanitarian and economic crisis when the city warned that Day Zero — the moment when the taps would literally run dry — was a real possibility. The crisis in Cape Town has abated, but much of the rest of the country remains in the grip of one of the worst droughts in decades. According to Agri SA, 30,000 agricultural workers have lost their jobs over the past year as a result of drought, and smaller municipalities in areas such as the central Karoo have had their budgets squeezed by the need to drill for groundwater t...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.