Introduction and background

Humanity continues to consume the earths’ resources at ever increasing and unsustainable rates. This serves a course of rapidly accelerating trends of environmental degradation and climate change globally, which threaten to undermine existing and future developmental potential and opportunity.

As a result of these increased national awareness of these risks and threats to development in South Africa, environmental considerations are being mainstreamed in development policies across the economy. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa empowers them as a sector and the Department of Environmental Affairs continue to endeavour for the full realisation of the right to an environment that is not harmful to the health and well-being of South Africans and all those who live in their country.

As the sector and the Department, they aim to radically transform our approach to environmental protection, while also balancing it with socio- economic development – crucial pillars on which sustainable development rests. As a nation they adopted the National Development Plan, which maps out the vision of the country for the 20 years ahead. In the environment sector, they will implement related aspects of the priority areas that deal with environmental protection and sustainable development.

Also in their quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly environmental protection and poverty reduction, they continue to promote various initiatives that galvanise unprecedented efforts to make South Africa a better country for all who live in it. The department therefore aims to provide leadership in environmental management, utilisation, conservation and protection of ecological infrastructure.

Mandate and core business

The Department of Environmental Affairs is mandated to give effect to the right of citizens to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing, and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations. To this end, the department provides leadership in environmental management, conservation and protection towards sustainability for the benefit of South Africans and the global community.

Mission statement

Vision
A prosperous and equitable society living in harmony with their natural resources.

Mission

Providing leadership in environmental management, conservation and protection towards sustainability for the benefit of South Africans and the global community

Values

Driven by their Passion as custodians and ambassadors of the environment they have to be Proactive and foster innovative thinking and solutions to environmental management premised on a People-centric approach that recognises the centrality of Batho Pele, for it is when they put their people first that they will serve with Integrity, an important ingredient in a high Performance driven organisation such as theirs.