The Presidential Climate Commission calls for stronger national partnerships to accelerate climate action, implementation, and investment supporting South Africa’s transition to a resilient low-carbon economy.
The Presidential Climate Commission has called for strengthened collaboration across government, business and society to accelerate implementation of South Africa’s climate action agenda.
The Commission convened its Lekgotla and 21st Quarterly Ordinary Sitting from 24 to 25 March 2026 in Centurion, Pretoria, to consolidate its five-year priorities and programme of work in line with its mandate under the Climate Change Act.
Discussions focused on moving from planning to implementation, strengthening coordination across public institutions, and mobilising climate finance at the scale required to meet South Africa’s climate commitments.
Deputy Chairperson Dipak Patel said the meeting built on engagements with Cyril Ramaphosa following the handover of the Commission’s five-year Legacy Report in December 2025.
The Commission identified key priorities including supporting implementation of a Just Transition, strengthening cooperation across sectors, advancing green industrial development and mobilising climate finance for both mitigation and adaptation initiatives.
Improved collaboration with local government was highlighted as critical, particularly in supporting municipal implementation, early warning systems and community-led development models in regions most affected by climate change.
The Commission also committed to strengthening research capability in areas including mitigation, resilience, adaptation, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring policy decisions are supported by scientific evidence and data-driven insights.
Efforts will also focus on unlocking blended finance and domestic capital flows to support decarbonisation initiatives, improve transparency and strengthen accountability in climate investment programmes.
As part of its advisory mandate, the Commission approved the public release of a report titled Scenarios for Climate-Informed Economic Pathways for South Africa, which outlines potential development trajectories for a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
The report highlights how climate change, global energy transitions and shifting international trade dynamics will increasingly shape South Africa’s economic competitiveness, employment outlook and fiscal stability.
Recognising the importance of inclusive participation, the Commission emphasised the need for stronger partnerships across government, private sector stakeholders and social partners to ensure the transition remains socially just and economically viable.
A national climate awareness initiative is also under consideration, aimed at strengthening public understanding of climate change and encouraging community participation through accessible and localised communication platforms.
Patel emphasised the importance of collective action in achieving national climate objectives.
“As a country, we have developed strong policy frameworks. The task now is to ensure these translate into meaningful impact on the economy, livelihoods and ecological sustainability through credible partnerships and shared national effort,” he said.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to supporting implementation of climate policy guided by scientific evidence and informed by collaboration across society.
