Kwazulu-Natal Premier Seeks Practical Solutions To Address Climate Change In Developing Nations

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube urged world leaders to find practical solutions to address climate change in developing countries like South Africa and called for the inclusion of subnational and local governments in climate talks.

During the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) summit, being held in Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, the premier said that all global leaders must accelerate the implementation of the resolutions and commitments taken during previous summits.

Dube-Ncube pointed out on Wednesday that vulnerable countries and regions were feeling the "brutal effects" of climate change. She also emphasized the inclusion of subnational and local governments in climate talks to strengthen the implementation of international agreements and better incorporation of such agreements in provincial and local strategies.

The premier, who also encouraged accountability and transparency in the disaster relief and recovery programs, stressed that climate-related disasters hit people on the ground the most. Hence, provinces and municipalities must immediately respond to their needs.

"This requires a lot of focus on inclusion and funding. In KwaZulu-Natal, we are still recovering from the devastating effects of the April 2022 floods and this is felt at the local level where people live," Dube-Ncube said, SA News reported.

Dube-Ncube's comments came while she was speaking for the African continent in the climate change engagements as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and as Co-Chair of the Under2Coalition.

Under2Coalition is a group of subnational governments striving to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It includes five co-chairs from California, KwaZulu-Natal, São Paulo, Scotland and South Chungcheong (Chungnam).

In October, Dube-Ncube revealed that the population in KwaZulu-Natal increased 21% from 2011 to 2022 due to which the province required more resources. In addition, the overall population of South Africa has also increased from 51.7 million to 62 million in the last 10 years.

South Africa secured $676 million worth of funding from rich nations in October for its transition to green energy. The amount is twice as much as the originally set grant, which was only $329.7 million.

As part of its progress in its transition towards sustainable transportation, the country released a White Paper earlier this week to outline a roadmap for Electric Vehicles and create a structured policy for the automotive industry.