The South African government promulgated the Climate Change Act (Act 22) in 2024. The objectives of the Act are to:
- Bring government, business and communities together to tackle climate change in a coordinated way
- Help the country prepare for and cope with the already unavoidable climate impacts by making communities, economy and environment more resilient
- Support South Africa in making its fair share contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming
- Manage the shift to a low-carbon economy in a way that is just and fair, taking into account the country’s circumstances
- Meet South Africa’s commitments under international climate agreements
- Protect the planet for current and future generations
Under the Act, provincial governments and metropolitan and district municipalities must develop a climate change needs and response assessment within one year of publication of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan. The needs and response assessment presents details on the impacts of climate change, including risks and vulnerabilities, and identifies measures to manage and implement the climate change response.
Within two years after publishing the assessment, a climate change response implementation plan must be developed required. This plan is based on the needs and response assessment, and describes adaptation and mitigation measures or programmes to be implemented, which are aligned with the constitutional mandate of the province, or the metropolitan or district municipality.
A guidance document and spreadsheet is available to help support sub-national government institutions develop these documents. (Link: CCNRA tool and framework, CCIP tool and framework).
More information on the Act, as well as the roles and responsibilities of sub-national governments can be found in this presentation.
The full Act is available for download here.
- Overview of the Act (including roles and responsibilities)
- Downloadable resources: Presentations given
- Links to other resources (such as the Act)
- Reporting requirements under the Act – provide some text on this and
These are sub-pages of CCA: