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TERMS OF REFERENCE
PROVINCIAL CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM
1.
INTRODUCTION
In order to ensure that climate change considerations and the climate change responses are fully mainstreamed into the
work of government, there must be coordination between different spheres of government. To this end, the following
cooperative structures and mechanisms are being utilized to ensure proper coordination on climate change issues: InterMinisterial Committee on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change (IGCCC) and National Climate
Change Committee. At Local level, climate change issues are coordinated through the Climate Change Environmental
Affairs and Sustainability Working Group supported by SALGA.
2.
OBJECTIVES AND KEY ACTIVITIES
The Province has made strides in terms of combating climate change. Various Provincial Departments and local authorities
have strategies, plans, programmes and initiatives in place to address climate change, including Gauteng Climate Change
Response Strategy (GCCRS), 2011 prepared by the GDARD. However, there was no platform at the Provincial level,
through which climate change response efforts are consolidated and where possible aligned to achieve greater results.
There is therefore a need for Provincial Climate Change Forum (as recommended by the GCCRS) as a representative
platform to coordinate climate change issues within the Province.
Provincial Climate Change Forum will address the following matters:

Report to the IGCCC, National Climate Change Committee and other relevant structures;
Provincial Climate Change Forum will ensure that the Province presents consolidated input to the IGCCC, Outcome 10
Report to the Presidency and other relevant structures. Previously, different Departments and municipalities were
presenting different or separate reports to the above mentioned structures in matters related to climate change.

Provide a platform for all relevant departments and local authorities to share information on their various
climate change-related policies and measures (including strategies, plans, programmes, legislation, systems
and projects);
There are various plans, strategies and programmes in addition to the GCCRS within the Province that seek to address
climate change (for example Green Transport Policy, Green Strategic Programme, Gauteng Energy Security Strategy,
Food Security Strategy, Environmental Management Framework and Disaster Risk Management Framework). Further,
municipalities have climate change strategies and other plans in place to address climate change. All of those need to
be identified and further updates should be based on latest and most appropriate information and
measures/technological choices/systems.

Provide a platform for all relevant departments and local authorities to share knowledge and build capacity
through sharing information on forthcoming national, regional and international climate change-related events
(e.g. conferences, seminars, workshops, training opportunities, etc.);
The Climate change is multi-disciplinary and emerging field and therefore all participants need to be trained and
capacitated. Forum meetings will include briefing from courses, workshops and other events attended by members. To
increase the exposure in the climate change field all members are encouraged to share training and capacity building
TERMS OF REFERENCE
PROVINCIAL CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM
November 2015
opportunities. Seminars and trainings to capacitate the Forum members will also be considered and donor funding will
be sought for this purpose.

Monitor and report progress on the implementation of various climate change-related projects and initiatives;
In addition to regular reports, such as Outcome 10 report, there are a number of databases that collect mainly project
specific information. In communication with DEA the reporting should be prioritised and streamlined. DEA is busy with
setting up a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation System. Its 1st module, the web-based National Climate
Change Response Database (NCCRD) is already functional. It is responsibility of this Forum to provide inputs into
NCCRD. Provincial departments and municipalities could also provide information on climate change activities on
carbon Climate Registry (cCR), which is currently utilised by large metros.

Initiate joint projects/initiatives/campaigns that impact on, or require the active involvement of more than one
department or local authority (share capacity, budgets or joint steering committee);
In some instances, more than one department or few local government organisations (e.g. local municipality and
District municipality) embark on a similar project. The establishment of this Forum will ensure identification of
synergies, possible joint projects/initiatives, opportunities for shared funding and upscaling to achieve a common
goal/mandate.

Facilitate the implementation of all Climate Change Strategies and Plans within Gauteng and co-ordinate their
reviews; and
There are various strategies and plans that will need to be reviewed on a regular basis. In particular, the GCCRS
needs to be updated in 2016/17. The Forum can nominate representatives to the Steering Committees responsible for
managing the reviews.

Act as a reference group to ensure consistent, integrated and coherent provincial messaging for climate
change-related outreach and awareness-raising activities.
After the Forum meetings, the Forum report will be compiled and submitted to the MEC: Gauteng Agriculture and Rural
Development. This report will be circulated to all Gauteng Provincial Government departments and municipalities
contributing to the Forum.
3.
MEMBERSHIP
The Provincial Climate Change Forum is composed representatives from the following institutions:

Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD)

Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Gauteng Department of Economic Development

Gauteng Department of Health

Gauteng Department of Human Settlements

Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport

Gauteng Treasury

Relevant National Sector Departments (DEA and other departments by invitation)

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality

West Rand District Municipality and Local Municipalities

Sedibeng District Municipality and Local Municipalities
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
PROVINCIAL CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM
4.

State-owned institutions (by invitation)

Representative of Academia

Representative of relevant Research Institutions

Representative of Non-Governmental Organizations
November 2015
REPORTING
The Provincial Climate Change Forum will report to the MEC: GDARD, Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change
(IGCCC) and National Climate Change Committee, as well as other appropriate provincial and national structures.
At the end of each meeting, the Provincial Climate Change Forum will agree on the matters to be submitted to the
Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change (IGCCC). The Agenda will be distributed one week prior to the meeting.
The minutes shall be checked by the chairperson and accepted by committee members as a true and accurate record at the
commencement of the next meeting.
5.
LOGISTICS
The chairperson would be either Chief Director: Sustainable Use of Environment (GDARD) or a person to whom this
function is temporary delegated.
The secretariat duties will be performed by the GDARD.
The Provincial Climate Change Forum will meet at least once every quarter, or more frequently as necessary. At least once
a year the Forum will be open to large number of stakeholders to support knowledge sharing, but at least 3 times a year the
Forum will focus on operations and projects and only decision makers involved in climate change related projects and
programmes will be invited. The Forum may set up supporting committees to deal with large projects, programmes or
events. The frequency of the meetings for supporting committees will be decided when such committees are formed. The
chair will propose and the Forum will approve the agenda for the meetings. The chair and any other member of the Forum
may request the secretariat to convene an additional meeting. The Forum members may submit items for consideration in
the Forum meetings and will report on the progress of the initiatives/projects managed by their organizations.
6.
REVIEW
The Provincial Climate Change Forum Terms of Reference can be reviewed when deemed necessary, in consultation with
all the Forum members.
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
PROVINCIAL CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM
7.
November 2015
AMENDMENT PROTOCOL
The terms of reference may be amended on agreement by the Forum, but the amendments will be aligned to the
objective of the Forum.
8.
COMMENCEMENT OF TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Terms of Reference come into operation on the date signed by the Chief Director: Sustainable Use of
Environment (GDARD).
Signed at _______________________, on the _____ day of ______________ 2016
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