The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on Friday started a National Climate Change stakeholder workshop to solidify the country’s position as the host of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17), in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The global climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held from November 29 to December 9, and expectations were high for good outcomes from the gathering.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, and International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane addressed the stakeholders, which included governmental departments, nongovernmental organisations, companies and civil society. Both Ministers reiterated the need for a ‘Team South Africa’ approach to ensure a successful outcome at the conference in Durban.

“Unity is our strength,” said Nkoana-Mashabane, adding that “Team South Africa can deliver miracles when Team South Africa works together”.

President Jacob Zuma appointed Nkoana-Mashabane as the chairperson for COP17. She recently visited Mexico City to gain insights on the COP process from the previous COP president, and establish what the expectations were of COP17.

Nkoana-Mashabane said that there were key issues that were not resolved at Cancun, Mexico in 2010, and were referred to Durban, thus expectations on South Africa to “deliver a miracle” were high.

The major negotiating issues that needed clarity were a second commitment period beyond the Kyoto Protocol, as well as the establishment of a legally binding agreement.

Molewa said stakeholders at the workshop in Johannesburg would have to thrash out their differences and come forward with a unified voice. They were also expected to outline a work programme for the year ahead.

A UNFCCC meeting would start on April 3, in Bangkok, Thailand, where countries would work towards implementing decisions made at the 16th COP in Cancun.

Further meetings under the UNFCCC umbrella would start in June, and this was when South Africa would start to preside over the deliberations.

It was viewed as vital that the logistics at the Durban conference were conducive to reaching consensus.

South Africa’s “must haves” from COP17 were to ensure a successful content outcome, and ensure that visitors should experience the best ever hospitality, Molewa said.

“Climate change is arguably the biggest challenge facing humankind, and the sooner we realise this the better,” she stated.

South African National Biodiversity Institute CEO Dr Tanya Abrahamse reported that research has shown that in South Africa, carbon-dioxide levels are 30% higher than pre-industrial levels. She said that impacts on biodiversity, such as bush-encroachment, and coral bleaching were already being seen in South Africa.