Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Date: 12 August 1997
WHITE PAPER ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Dr Z. Pallo Jordan, has invited the public to comment on the White Paper on Environmental Management, published in the Government Gazette of 28 July 1997.
This White Paper has been placed before Cabinet for discussion, amendment and adoption. As such it reflects the government's thinking on environmental management based on a vision of a society in harmony with its environment. It represents a major departure from narrow protectionism of the past, to sustainable development based on an integrated and holistic management system for the environment.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE WHITE PAPER ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
The new democratic government identified the urgent need for a new national environmental policy in line with its approach to environmental governance and vision for environmental management in South Africa.
The government's new national environmental management policy has been developed through a comprehensive participatory process known as the Consultative National Environmental Policy Process (CONNEPP) and involved all the major stakeholders groups in South Africa. All national government departments, provincial departments of environment as well as business, industry, environmental non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and organised labour on both national and provincial levels, were represented on the policy-developing structures and were involved throughout the process.
The White Paper on Environmental Management is an overarching national framework policy. Specific subsidiary and sectoral policies to carry out the detailed tasks of the everyday governance will fall within this framework. This policy applies to all government institutions and to all activities that impact on the environment.
Through this policy government undertakes to give effect to the many rights in the Constitution that relate specifically to the environment. The policy takes ownership of sustainable development as the accepted approach to resource management and utilisation in South Africa, this entrenching environmental sustainability in policy and practice.
The policy focuses on win-win solutions to promote economic and environmental gains, particularly for previously disadvantaged communities. It seeks to integrate and address environmental concerns and environmental sustainability in:
This policy will ensure that the Growth Employment and Redistribution Strategy (GEAR) and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) bring lasting benefits to all South Africans through growth that does not degrade the environment and development that is environmentally sustainable.
The policy sets out the principles for environmental management and priorities for achieving the vision. It focuses government action in meeting its commitment to sustainable development over the next five to ten years. This is set out in seven broad strategic goals. The national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will develop a National Environmental Strategy and Action Plans (NES&AP) to achieve these goals.
The policy transforms the role of the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism from being a passive and facilitating one to that of active governance and lead agent for environmental management. In its new role the Department has executive, monitoring, adjudicating, integrating and co-ordinating functions in respect of environmental management across all government spheres. Environmental management functions will be concentrated in the Department or carried out by extension in other departments, depending on where the objective of a function can be most effectively achieved.
All departments and other organs of state in all spheres must comply with this policy. The onus is on them to consult and inform the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in performing environmental functions and any activity that impacts on the environment, to ensure integrated and co-ordinated decision making with respect to environmental management.
An integrated and comprehensive regulatory system is proposed, to ensure compliance and co-operation in meeting the goals and objectives of the policy. It sets out a number of mechanisms, including:
To meet government's constitutional obligations in respect of the environment and the development needs of our people, sustainable development and an integrated and co-ordinated environmental management system are essential. The policy aims to address the fragmentation of environmental functions in the Constitution by revisiting the allocation of environmental management functions, to achieve sustainable development and integration in the Constitution. This is to fully realise the boldness and magnitude of the vision stated in this policy.
For the first time in our country's history government has shown true commitment to its environmental obligations by identifying the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism as the lead agent for integrated environmental management. The environment is no longer an "after-thought", but an integral part of the development of our country. The new environmental management policy provides government and the people of South Africa with the means and criteria to identify those things that will create peace and prosperity. It gives us a formidable framework for interaction with our environment, our past, present and future.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY
Implementation of this policy will require a collective effort form all departments, organs of state in all spheres and from civil society. This will be co-ordinated by the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. In developing this policy, the Department has been mindful of government's limited budgetary capacity, and therefore favours the co-ordinated and efficient use of existing structures and resources, to creating new institutions which make additional demands for funding from the fiscus. The process to transform the Department from being rule-driven to being mission-driven, thereby becoming more effective, efficient, innovative, responsive, representative and entrepreneurial is already underway.
COMMUNICATING THE WHITE PAPER
Copies of the White Paper are being widely distributed to the public for comment, including all the participants in the CONNEPP process. After these comments have been integrated into the policy and Parliament has made their recommendations, a plain language version of the White Paper will be produced and made available to the public in accessible languages.
COMMENTS ON THE WHITE PAPER
Written comments may be sent to:
The Director General, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Private Bat X447, Pretoria.
The deadline for comment is 29 August 1997.
Copies of all submissions received will also be forwarded to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, which will be conducting Public Hearing on the White Paper.
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM
For further information please contact:
Cassandra Gabriel, Public Relations Officer - Ph: (021) 457 240 / 082 573 4168