Monday 5 September 2011 10:50
SABC
International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is meeting a host of groups, including civil society to discuss climate change. The meeting forms part of her consultations with groups ahead of the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban in November.
Nkoana-Mashabane is the incoming president of COP 17. Experts say negotiations on climate change have reached a point where Durban has become a critical point for finding a lasting solution and to minimising the devastating effects on the environment.
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world, and nearly decades of UN negotiations on the phenomenon have failed to find an absolute approach to curbing the release of greenhouse gases.
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson said in preparation for COP 17, recently that there would be a two-day African ministerial conference in Gauteng on September 13 -14, under the theme “Climate-Smart Agriculture: A call to Action.”
“We’ve already started with various consultative processes including national, regional and international stakeholder meetings and forums in preparation for the anticipated, but highly publicised climate event.”
Joemat-Pettersson said climate-smart agriculture, which is a fairly new concept on the continent, includes proven practical techniques and approaches that can help achieve a triple win for food security, adaptation and mitigation.