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Department of Environmental Affairs and Development

Environmental Sustainability

Strategically guide sustainable development in the Western Cape. Strategically guide, co-ordinate and harmonise provincial responses to climate change. Facilitate the conservation of biodiversity. Coordinate coastal resource management. CapeNature, our Public Entity and implementing agent protect our rich biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services it provides to communities.

Climate Change

‘Climate Change’, as we use the term today, refers to changes in the world’s climate induced by the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere by human activities, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Unless we reduce the emissions and prepare society for the impacts of the expected changes, our natural, social and economic systems will be impacted to a point where decent living conditions will become impossible to maintain.

The Climate Change Directorate coordinates the provincial response to climate change. Our aim is to integrate response actions into the social and economic developmental service delivery goals of the Western Cape Government.

We currently have the newly revised Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy: Vision 2050 to guide us - a strategy and pathway which aims to achieve a climate resilient province by 2040 and to be a net Zero Emitter by 2050, with significant in-roads made in the strategy implementation by 2030.

The Strategy is transversal, providing policy direction for sector departments, municipalities and implementation partners outside government to collectively achieve the vision.

The vision expressed in the Strategy is a net zero emissions and climate resilient province by 2050, built on an equitable and inclusive economy and society that thrives despite the shocks and stresses posed by climate change. These goals match similar commitments made by subnational governments all over the world, in the City of Cape Town and South Africa as a whole.

Four guiding objectives give structure to the Strategy:

  1. Responding to the climate emergency;
  2. Transitioning in an equitable and inclusive manner to net zero emissions by 2050;
  3. Reducing climate risks and increasing resilience;
  4. Enabling a Just Transition through public sector, private sector and civil society collaboration.

The updated Strategy furthermore aligns with the economic growth ambitions of the Western Cape insofar as it supports the need for a green and low-carbon economic recovery. 

OUR SERVICES

  • Coordinate the Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy, and the Climate Change Response Forum and Work Group
  • Coordinate and provide technical advice on integrating climate change responses across all sectors
  • Undertake climate change policy and strategy development and implementation support
  • Catalyse climate change research, knowledge development, partnerships and financing
  • Lead the coordination of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions reporting
  • Provide climate change Municipal Support.

General enquiries: 021 483 3966

Sustainability

ABOUT US:

The Directorate: Sustainability’s main vision is the mainstreaming of sustainability in the Western Cape in alignment to the Provincial Strategic Goal 4 (PSG 4), namely, to enable a resilient, sustainable, quality and inclusive living environment. The Directorate works towards this vision through a holistic and coordinated approach in championing Innovation, Sustainability, Resource Efficiency, Environmental Economy Green Jobs, and Environmental Education and Awareness through policy and practice or to a particular strategic issue. The Directorate furthermore works towards the aligning of sustainability objectives and outcomes throughout the Department, Western Cape Government and the Western Cape more broadly.

SERVICES:

1. Environmental Education and Awareness (EEA)

  • Western Cape Environmental Education Forum 
  • Support programmes: Teacher and Learner Support programmes
  • Greenest Municipality Competition (GMC)
  • Government Employees Training

2. Sustainability Integration and Reporting

  • State of the Environment Outlook Report 
  • Environmental Implementation Plan/Environmental Management Plan (EIP/EMP)
  • Research, Innovation and sustainability knowledge management

3. Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)

  • EPWP Environment & Culture (EAC) sector coordination
  • Project implementation, unlocking potential and leveraging private sector investment

4. Green Economy Reporting

  • Green Economy Indicator Reporting
  • Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)
  • Too wise to waste (2W2W)

State of Environment Outlook Report 2024

The Western Cape State of Environment Outlook Report, as required in terms of section 16A (1) of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA), is in its fourth generation and fourth reporting cycle. The Western Cape has a strong record of publishing the State of Environment Outlook Reports since the early 2000s, bringing a favourable opportunity to refine the scope, objectives and outcomes of the State of Environment Outlook Report, as an instrument towards identifying and responding to the Western Cape’s sustainability trends of concern.

The current sustainability outlook for the Western Cape reveals a mixed scenario of progress and ongoing challenges. Despite improvements in protecting biodiversity through increased conservation area, biodiversity is threatened by a declining ecosystem status for the Western Cape, the inadequate management of invasive alien plants, and ongoing habitat loss, particularly of threatened ecosystems. Urgent action is needed to address coastal issues such as ecosystem transformation, pollution, and declining fish resources. 

Water scarcity poses significant risks to ecological reserves, agricultural production, infrastructure, and the economy, while waste management facilities are critically overburdened, exacerbated by regulatory non-compliance and service delivery challenges. Although air quality of the province is stable, its monitoring is in a state of decline. On a positive note, provincial sustainability is supported by renewable energy initiatives, agricultural responses to climate change, alongside improving settlement and housing quality. However, balancing land transformation, overcoming fiscal and economic constraints, and adapting to climate change are crucial for achieving long-term resilience and equitable development in the region.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Enquiries.Eadp@westerncape.gov.za

021 483 2993

Biodiversity

Biodiversity liaises with and provides oversight to CapeNature on biodiversity policy and strategy matters, promotes biodiversity management, capacity and strategically participate in national, provincial and local biodiversity programmes and projects in order to fulfil the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and biodiversity legislation relevant in the Province.

Coastal Management

ABOUT US:

The coastline of the Western Cape is arguably the most diverse of South Africa’s four coastal provinces, which is unsurprising given its length (over 1 500km, nearly half of South Africa’s total coastline) and the fact that it lies between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The coastal zone is acknowledged as the fulcrum around which a vast proportion of South Africa’s economic and development activity centers. The goods and services provided by South Africa’s coast are best conceived of as a limited resource in terms of the needs of its people.  

The Department as the lead agency for coastal management in the Province promotes integrated and sustainable coastal and estuarine management, to ensure a balance between socio-economic development and the coastal and marine ecology. As well as ensuring an effective coastal zone management system through the compliance monitoring and enforcement of all coastal zone permits and regulations. Additionally, there is a responsibility to ensure effective management of pollution and the impact on the marine, coastal and estuarine environments. The alignment of our efforts and the garnering of our collective resources mean that we can be better together!

Vision

Our celebrated Western Cape Coast for life, for all, forever!

Mission

The health, productivity and diversity of natural systems and unique sense-of-place and diverse cultural heritage are protected and promoted in a spirit of stewardship, caring and shared responsibility.

The Western Cape coast is diverse, rich, unique and resilient and is respected and celebrated.

The inherent value of the coast is equitably and sustainably unlocked by optimising access, livelihoods and economic and social benefits. 

The coast and its inhabitants are recognised as valuable assets and nurtured through enabling, innovative, integrated cooperative and adaptive management interventions.

SERVICES

  • Social and economic development and planning;
  • Cooperative governance and local government support;        
  • Facilitation of coastal access;
  • Climate change, dynamic coastal processes and building resilient communities;
  • Minimise Land- and marine-based sources of pollution and waste;
  • Natural and cultural resource management;
  • Estuarine management;
  • Capacity building, advocacy and education;
  • Monitoring, compliance and enforcement.