People have asked us what the various parties' green stance is this election. And it's a fair question. When you think of the role that the issue of climate change played in the recent American election campaign, it is surprising how little emphasis there is on climate change in South Africa, despite its being the first time that it is an election issue.

Harald Winkler, an associate professor at the Energy Research Centre at UCT and author, has put together an excellent summary for those of us who not only care deeply about the planet but also realise that climate change is a deeply economic issue, and one which affects everything we do.

The ANC
Their manifesto includes climate change, albeit briefly. Their major focus is 'green jobs' and they promise to “develop and invest in a programme to create large numbers of 'green jobs', namely employment in industries and facilities that are designed to mitigate the effects of climate change”. Action on climate change, as far as the ANC is concerned, needs to be framed in terms of a public works programme on energy efficiency and renewable energy to provide green jobs.

COPE
COPE wants the Expanded Public Works Programme to do many things, including the “creation of work to clean and green the environment”. However, Cope does not explicitly mention climate change in this context. The party’s manifesto includes climate on a list of “important global challenges” that includes the reform of the UN, transnational organised crime and international terrorism. As Harald says – hardly convincing stuff...

DA
Their manifesto contains sections on both climate change and energy, and they say that SA “cannot afford to wait in responding to the challenges of climate change”. As far as mitigation is concerned, the DA advocates focusing on carbon sequestration and sectoral targets on energy efficiency. Their energy section does include reference to renewable energy, supporting a tariff and the roll-out of one-million solar water heaters.

The target of 15% of energy by 2020 is framed in terms of “alternative energy”. It is not quite clear which these are. Their manifesto sees the “eventual establishment of a price for carbon”, which would be a powerful signal, but without a clear timeframe. The focus of adaptation for the DA would be on water, extreme weather events, education and agriculture.

UDM
The United Democratic Movement identifies climate change, water scarcity and energy as the three major crises facing the world, and it makes a clear link between poverty and climate change. Many of the ‘brown’ environmental concerns are listed, linking the “high levels of poverty in many parts of the country . . . to the destruction of the environment" and stating that "soil erosion, water pollution and deforestation are widespread”.

The UDM’s manifesto goes on to explicitly mention climate as adding to existing stresses on the poor, in that “storms and adverse weather are becoming commonplace due to global climate change”. “A UDM government would be a champion of these causes locally, on the continent and in international forums”.

ID
The ID has a proposal for a sustainable energy future that is much more explicit than those of other parties. It has “a vision that sees South Africa at the forefront of the global energy revolution, where we can strategically position ourselves as a leader in certain technologies, particularly solar thermal and solar photovoltaic”.

The ID is possibly the one party with a clear position on climate change. Their manifesto states the problem clearly and states that SA is currently the 14th biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, pointing out the impacts on biodiversity, water and salt-water intrusion. Their proposed solution is also straightforward, built around renewable energy. They also feature energy efficiency and energy security, but the attention is on renewables. Even more in their favour is their outspokenness with regards to nuyclear power (other parties are silent in this regard). The ID would lobby for studies on radiation levels at Koeberg and radioactive waste disposal. (if green was my sole deciding factor, then the ID would get my vote...)

For the whole article by Harald Winkler

On the topic of nuclear energy, Ninette Potgieter has put together a 'must read' blog in which she covers the responses of the UDM, the DA and the ID with regards to nuclear energy. As she outlines - “many of us are asking, why continue down the nuclear road when renewable energy sources are beckoning?!”

She posed a number of questions to the various political parties and asked for their responses. As at December 2008, when the blog went 'live', she was still awaiting responses from the IFP, the ANC, COPE and the ACDP. Read her blog – no2nuke.blogspot.com

Source: enegineering news