The Heat is On

Local Government and Climate Governance in South Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID16767656
AuthorsAnél Du Plessis (0000-0002-4370-8661), Louis J Kotzé (0000-0001-5820-168X)
Year2014
Volume58
Issue1
Pages145-174
Publication date2014-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of African Law (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0221-8553 • E-ISSN: 1464-3731
PublisherCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/s0021855314000047
OpenAlexW2061313397
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited9

Departing from the fact that climate change poses localized effects, this article critically considers from a legal perspective the role of local authorities in the South African government's response to climate change. A brief review of the relevance of climate mitigation and adaptation is followed by an explanation of what these concepts mean for local government. The article then discusses the extent to which the country's environmental and local government law and policy framework provides for municipalities' participation and involvement in climate governance. The article identifies strengths and weaknesses in relation to the local sphere of government's formal involvement in climate governance vis-à-vis authorities in the provincial and national spheres. It concludes that, as a result of their proximity to the effects of climate change, municipalities have a critically important role to play in the climate governance effort, despite the patchwork of environmental and local government laws and lack of explicit, consolidated policy and legal arrangements to this effect

Business · Climate change · Corporate governance · Economics · Government (linguistics) · Local government · Political economy · Political science · Ecology · Human Rights and Development · Legal Issues in South Africa · Public Administration · Regulation and Compliance Studies

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