South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions will continue rising over the next 16 years, and only start dropping from about 2035, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday.

Opening a debate on climate change in the National Assembly, she said the country insisted on its "carbon space" so as not to jeopardise growth and development.

"Work on the long-term mitigation scenario has identified a trajectory that would allow our emissions to rise from about 450 ppm currently, to about 550 ppm in 2020/25.

"We would then want them to stabilise at that level for about a decade, on the basis of a range of low-carbon interventions, including the way we run our economy.

"We would then want to see them decline, in absolute terms, from about 2035," Sonjica said.

To achieve this, and given South Africa's high level of dependence on fossil fuels, the country would need "substantial assistance" from the international community.

"In particular, to the financing of low-carbon initiatives, as well as technology transfer and access to technology," she said.

Speaking earlier at a media briefing in Cape Town, she said South Africa could not afford to accept any binding emissions reduction targets at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month.

"South Africa is a developing country with huge developmental challenges, and needs carbon space in order to meet our developmental needs.

"We cannot afford to take on any binding emission reduction targets. Expectations for the outcome of the conference in Copenhagen are informed by our national interests and our strategic priorities," she told journalists.

Speaking later in the House, she said there were serious concerns about the impact of climate change on Africa. A 2% rise in world temperatures would have "potentially devastating consequences" for the continent.

"For Africa, and South Africa, our continued development requires the developed world to play its part."

She said the developed world was trying to shift the burden of emissions reduction to developing countries.

"We need to be clear that a developing country such as South Africa, with its challenges regarding the need to develop in order to achieve growth and poverty eradication, insists on its carbon space.

"While agreeing on the need for us to take action on climate change and reduce our emissions, we can not enter into an agreement that will not allow us to move forward as a nation," she said.

On South Africa's heavy reliance on coal - of which it has massive reserves - to generate electricity, she said while the country aimed to reduce this dependence, coal-fired power stations would remain.

"The US is generating 50% of its electricity from coal; the UK is generating 40% of its electricity from coal; and they have not been vocal in saying 'we will drop our coal'.

"So why should South Africa, being a developing country. I think we would be doing an injustice to the poorer people of this country because energy is central to economic growth," Sonjica said.

About 90% of South Africa's electricity comes from coal-fired power stations.