From finance to forestry and fisheries – South Africa’s new environment minister takes a pragmatic approach

We know Dion George is a finance man, having been the DA’s shadow minister for finance and on the finance portfolio for quite a while, but who is our new minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in South Africa’s government of national unity (GNU)?

What should we expect from the man mandated to ensure our environment is protected, not harmful to human health and wellbeing, free from pollution and ecological degradation, and to secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources along with economic and social development?

In an interview with Daily Maverick in his new office in Parliament, Dion George was composed and clear that he would not be an “extremist” or an “emotional decision-maker” as he outlined his approach and priorities for his new role in which he aims to strengthen the link between the environment and the economy — although these were still “germinating” in his mind.

Despite no background in environmental governance, George said that when the DA was given its selection of portfolios under the GNU, he intentionally chose this portfolio for its broad impact on the environment and its economic potential – hoping to connect (or reconnect) more people to the local ocean economy, conservation and biodiversity economy, as well as environmental protection work. 

The minister said he viewed his role as an opportunity to strengthen the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in the country’s economic cluster, as a mechanism both to alleviate poverty and protect vulnerable communities against food insecurity, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, heating and flooding – among other climate change impacts.  

“It is a potential job-generating department… I really did not know all of the details of it… It looks interesting. It looks exciting and I’m curious. I like to learn things, to know how things are working.

“What struck me is the very heavy responsibility that lies in this department – I think much bigger than I understood from the outside,” he said.



‘Trade-offs have to be made’

George noted the inherent tensions in his role, having to balance environmental protection with economic development, particularly in a country heavily reliant on coal as it seeks to reduce that reliance and move towards a low-carbon economy and meet global targets.

He was firm in saying that workers and communities had to benefit from the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy – how he intends to strike this balance remains to be seen.

“We often live in the grey space and I’m very good at navigating the grey. When I first arrived, everybody was like, gosh, this is a surprise appointment. Here he is, what does he think about stuff?

“My instinctive answer to the climate situation was, we need to go as fast as we can. South Africa wants to meet its obligations.

“I realised that I am the custodian of the air that we breathe, and that’s a big responsibility,” he said.

From a macro perspective, George said we had to fight climate change and that accelerating South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) was one of the ways to do that.

He said R1.5-trillion was needed over the initial five years to meet the country’s climate change mitigation targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ensure a just energy transition for affected regions, communities, employees and industries.

Regarding the climate change impacts on the ground, George said, “There are measures, but there should be more measures for poverty reduction and alleviation.”

“I see this department as part of the system where we can play our part in economic growth by sustainably leveraging our natural assets for job-generating economic growth… Trade-offs have to be made.”

Inefficiencies, red tape, bureaucracy

Conservation and wildlife protection

DFFE in the economics cluster

The DFFE in the GNU