Regional Inter-parliamentary body, the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) Friday called on member parliaments to adopt measures to reduce the carbon footprint, promote legislation, budgets, and oversight initiatives to prevent global warming.

Secretary-General, Boemo Mmandu Sekgoma, highlighted this in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism celebrated on 30 June.

"The Forum wishes to unreservedly associate itself with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) campaign "Parliaments for the Planet" which is designed to promote parliamentary delivery in the field of climate emergency, especially given seeking compliance with the Paris Agreement and to implement measures which may be reported upon during the Conference of the Parties to be held later this year in November," she said.

According to Sekgoma in line with the IPU campaign, environmental protection and disaster preparedness and recovery constitute key issues calling for reform by Parliaments in line with government agendas and strategies.

"In particular, the voices of women and those most vulnerable to climate disasters must be included through a participatory process so that parliamentary measures are geared to protect those who need them the most," she added.

Sekgoma further noted that in the years to come, the SADC-PF will remain supportive of parliamentary activities which involve environmental protection and gender mainstreaming in climate action.

"Parliaments can indeed represent powerful agents of change when citizens and Mps engage with the impetus to initiate reform in the right direction," she concluded.

The SADC PF is composed of fifteen parliaments representing over 3500 parliamentarians in the SADC region. In Southern Africa, climate change is real, and its effects are tangible and unequivocal. Soaring temperatures rise in the sea level, and devastating cyclones constitute symptoms of climatic imbalances which affect the lives of millions of citizens.