RSA’s government will increase investment in research and development to 1.5% of GDP RSA’s Transport Minister

Caspian Energy (CE): How do the outcomes of the COP29 influence the transport sector of the Republic of South Africa, and what steps are being taken to align with the global climate commitments?

Barbara Creecy, Minister of Transport of the Republic of South Africa: South Africa’s intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) (RSA 2015) was submitted on 25 September 2015 prior to COP 21, and became our first NDC (RSA 2016) on 1 November 2016, following our ratification of the Paris Agreement.  

South Africa has remained committed to the Paris Agreement and government has followed up its commitments to the global response in various ways, one of which is in the development of a sustainable transport system fashioned with the perspective of the global agreement directed at reducing transport’s carbon foot print across all modes of transport in South Africa.

South Africa is contributing to similar efforts within the region through the Southern African Development Community, and continentally through the African Union’s continental approach to sustainability and contributing to global efforts as through ICAO and the IMO for example.

The Department of Transport developed the Green Transport Strategy as a national transport policy. The Strategy is being revised towards more stringent targets to ensure its implementation plan is in alignment with climate science while also building resilience to the impacts of climate change. 

We are implementing our White Paper on National Rail Policy, which forms part of our broader contribution to lower energy consumption and support the country’s National Determined Contribution (NDC) to reducing Greenhous Gas (GHG) emissions. 

This is also in line with our commitment to re-invigorate the role of rail by rebuilding freight and passenger rail for a sustainable freight logistics and passenger transportation system. Our airports have since the COVID pandemic moved to diversify operations to improve the performance of airfreight transportation and parallel efforts are unfolding to build our ship register and grow coastal shipping. 

We are completing the formulation of a public transport subsidy to enable further growth of the public transport sector and move more people onto public transport by reducing the costs of commuting.