Young Parliamentarians Must Lead Climate Accountability Drive: Frolick

Parliamentarians must step up their oversight role to ensure that governments are held accountable for the climate commitments they make on international platforms.

This was the message from Mr Cedric Frolick, the National Assembly’s House Chairperson for Committees, during his address at the P20 Meeting of Young Parliamentarians.

The meeting is underway in Kleinmond ahead of the 11th Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), scheduled to take place from 1-3 October 2025.

Mr Frolick, who also served on the Global Legislators Organisation for A Balanced Environment (GLOBE) International, said it was vital for parliaments to reflect on where climate debates are headed and what interventions are required. GLOBE International is a non-partisan, cross-party parliamentary organisation dedicated to improving governance for sustainable development. “It’s crucial to engage parliamentarians to ensure that we have a critical mass of MPs who can play an advocacy role in their parliaments when it comes to matters of climate change,” he said.

While forums such as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) regularly make commitments, accountability is often lacking, Mr Frolick told delegates. “Who is holding these government executives accountable for their own multilateral commitments?” he asked. He explained that the Climate Parliament, set to convene in October, was designed as an oversight mechanism to ensure parliamentarians influence executive undertakings. The Climate Parliament is a global network of legislators working to inform and mobilise Members of Parliament and Congress to take action on the climate emergency.

Mr Frolick also told delegates that climate change commitments must be underpinned by proper financing. Without this, he said, it will remain an empty promise. “Making a commitment is one thing, but if there’s no financing mechanism for it, it will remain an unfulfilled commitment.” According to him, the pledges made by developed countries were often a drop in the ocean compared to the climate change challenges on the ground.

He further cautioned against the abrupt implementation of plans or programmes and said local contexts must be considered. Referring to the Just Energy Transition (JET), he said, “When South Africa was granted the Just Energy Grant, we were expected to immediately close all our coal mines that created more than 80 000 direct jobs and over 500 000 indirect opportunities. Funders expected the transition to happen overnight without understanding the implications for communities.” These transition plans must include phased timeframes, provide opportunities for reskilling and ensure that communities are consulted throughout the process.

Local Government must also play its role and drive advocacy and public participation programmes. “It’s only now that we start acting hastily when cyclones are a constant occurrence. And only now that we start to worry about people who settled in places that are prone to climate change disasters,” he said.

He said parliaments, in turn, must drive accountability, strengthen resilience and champion solutions to avert the catastrophic impact of climate change. He urged young parliamentarians to use their legislative influence to raise awareness among the youth and promote global cooperation.

Abel Mputing

30 September 2025