02 Dec 2015

The P3 million budget for the preparation of the national climate change policy will be funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Commonwealth Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama told Parliament that the policy would be tabled in the next session of Parliament, as it was still at the draft final stage with two important stakeholder consultative meetings remaining.

He said the tabling of the policy was delayed as it was initially to be tabled in July 2015 due to the broadening of the consultation process to accommodate the emerging trends in the climate change negotiation framework.

“The changing of initial consultants upon recognition that they had challenges in addressing emerging issues, and the time taken to replace them contributed to the delay,” said Minister Khama.

He noted that except for the two outstanding consultative forums, the consultative process has achieved its intended objective consistent with the terms of reference and the desired deliverables.

The MP for Gaborone South, Mr Kagiso Molatlhegi had asked the minister when he intends to table the national climate change policy, and to state the cost of developing the policy. Mr Molatlhegi also wanted to know the causes of the delay in tabling the policy, and whether the envisaged consultative process was achieved and if not why? Ends