Act No. 22 of 2024: Climate Change Act, 2024.

This Act, comprising 38 articles across six chapters, aims to (i) establish a coordinated and integrated response to climate change and its impacts across the economy and society; (ii) effectively manage unavoidable climate impacts by enhancing adaptive capacity, building resilience, and reducing vulnerability to foster social, economic, and environmental stability; (iii) contribute fairly to global efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate; (iv) facilitate a just transition to a low-carbon economy and society in line with national circumstances; (v) fulfill the Republic's international climate commitments and obligations; and (vi) safeguard the planet for the benefit of present and future generations.
The key bodies tasked with addressing climate change are (i) the Presidential Climate Commission, responsible for advising on climate change responses, mitigation, adaptation strategies, and socio-economic aspects of a just transition; (ii) Provincial Forums on Climate Change, which coordinate provincial climate actions, report to the President’s Coordinating Council, and may establish technical support structures; (iii) Municipal Forums on Climate Change, which manage municipal-level climate actions, report to Provincial Forums, and may also establish technical support structures; (iv) Ministers responsible for specific sectors, tasked with developing, implementing, reviewing, and updating sectoral adaptation strategies and plans, and reporting progress to the Minister.
Chapter 5 establishes a comprehensive framework to systematically reduce greenhouse gas emissions through national emissions trajectories, sectoral targets, carbon budgets, phase-out plans for synthetic gases, and a robust inventory system to ensure alignment with international commitments and national priorities.
The final chapter on General Matters and Transitional Arrangements Regulations empowers the Minister to enact regulations supporting international climate commitments, managing climate responses, and ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation, including provisions for incentives, disincentives, reporting, and compliance; mandates consultative processes and public participation before exercising specific powers; and outlines offenses such as withholding or falsifying information and non-compliance with mitigation plans, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, escalating for repeat violations.
The Act amends in Schedule 3 the National Environmental Management Act in Section 1 to update the definition of "specific environmental management Act" by adjusting punctuation and adding the Climate Change Act, 2024 as a referenced Act.