Climate Commission Welcomes New Governance Regulations
The Presidential Climate Commission has welcomed regulations published under the Climate Change Act 2024 that set out its governance and accountability arrangements.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Environmental
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister David Maynier published Climate Change Act 2024 regulations on the administration and operationalisation of the Presidential Climate Commission. The Commission welcomed the gazetted regulations, which set out its governance, decision-making and accountability arrangements.
Why it matters
The regulations give the Commission a clear operational framework as a Schedule 3A public entity, formalising how it receives and considers evidence-based policy advice. They also establish transparent reporting and accountability measures for South Africa's climate governance.
The regulations are the implementing instrument of the Climate Change Act, which was adopted in July 2024. The source does not provide further quantitative measures from the regulations.
The players
Presidential Climate Commission
The Presidential Climate Commission is a South African advisory body on climate change policy, established to advise the president and government on the country's climate response.
David Maynier
David Maynier is the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, responsible for publishing the Climate Change Act regulations.
The details
The regulations, published by Minister David Maynier, govern how the Presidential Climate Commission and its secretariat are administered and operated. The Commission welcomed them as a step that formalises its governance, decision-making and accountability arrangements.
Timeline
July 2024: Climate Change Act adopted.
9 November 2026: Presidential Climate Commission welcomes the gazetted regulations.
Big Picture
The regulations put into operation the Climate Change Act 2024, which South Africa adopted in July 2024 as a legislative anchor for its national climate response. They move the Presidential Climate Commission from a statutory concept to a functioning public entity with defined accountability arrangements.
The regulations clarify how the Commission reports on and is held accountable for its climate advice, which shapes how transparently national climate policy is developed. For citizens tracking South Africa's climate response, the framework indicates where official advice and accountability records will come from.
The takeaway
The regulations show that South Africa is building the institutional machinery behind its climate law, not just the law itself. Readers following climate policy can watch how the Commission's advice and reporting develop under this framework.
Further reading
Explore more on environmental policy to see how South Africa's climate framework fits within wider efforts on climate governance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Polity.
