The Presidential Climate Commission has welcomed the appointment of Dr Crispian Olver as the new deputy chairperson of the commission.

Olver’s appointment was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.

He will take over the position from outgoing deputy chairperson, Valli Moosa, from January 2025.

Moosa said Olver will bring a ‘wealth of skills and expertise’ and experience to the position.

‘He has served in the first democratic government in various capacities and was instrumental in the early development of climate policy and environmental legislation, as well as the establishment of the local government system in South Africa.

‘Collectively, as the commission, we congratulate Dr Olver in his new role and express our confidence in him to continue to strengthen the commission, particularly during this critical period as the PCC transitions into a public entity in terms of the Climate Change Act recently enacted by President Ramaphosa,’ Moosa said.

Olver thanked President Ramaphosa for the expre
ssion of confidence through the appointment.

‘As I take up this new responsibility, I want to express my thanks to the President for his vote of confidence, and importantly, the outgoing Deputy Chairperson, Mr Valli Moosa, who provided us with leadership and vision in the initial stages of the commission and positioning it as a highly transparent and engaging multi-stakeholder platform in the country’s climate action discourse.

‘The PCC will continue to forge social dialogue and ensure that our country’s climate change response and just transition is inclusive and champions our socio-economic interest. In the same vein, I would like to encourage our social partners to continue to take a keen interest and actively participate in our work, so that we can build a just and inclusive society, together,’ Olver said.

Source: South African Government News Agency