South Africa on Monday called for global efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations within a timeframe that enables economic, social and environmental development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

South Africa is working to reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts through interventions that build and sustain the country's social, economic and environmental resilience and emergency response capacity, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) said.

The country is also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Also, as with our participation at global forums such as COP19 (the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties, SA is engaging intensively in the international climate change negotiations, to secure a fair, effective and multilateral rules-based global climate change regime," the DEA said.

The DEA made the statement as Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa departed for Warsaw, Poland on Monday to participate in COP19 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The UNFCCC COP19 opened in Warsaw on Nov. 11 and will conclude on Nov. 22.

South Africa hosted the Durban United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) in 2011, with the aim of working out the next steps to ensure an effective global response to the global challenge of climate change.

The conference achieved the historic agreement on the Durban Platform and the initiation of negotiations on a new global legal instrument, applicable to all countries, to be adopted by 2015 and to be fully operational in 2020.

COP19 is critical for setting the stage for achieving a global agreement in Paris at the end of 2015. The conference is expected to be a challenging meeting.

Highlighting South Africa's expectations of the meeting, Molewa said before her departure that the talks must ensure that progress be made with the implementation of decisions already taken under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

"In addition, SA believes that work must advance under the Durban Platform so that negotiations on a new legal agreement can be concluded by 2015. This means that Warsaw must achieve agreement on a clear plan for negotiations towards COP20 in Lima, at the end of 2014, and COP 21, in Paris, at the end of 2015," Molewa said.

South Africa aims to continue to secure the Durban legacy by showing leadership, and seeking creative solutions that build the necessary bridges between what often seems to be contradictory positions, the DEA said in its statement.

To this effect South Africa will put forward its candidature to co-chair the Durban Platform negotiations in 2015, according to the DEA.

The country is also at work to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Also, as with its participation at global forums such as COP19, South Africa is engaging intensively in the international climate change negotiations, to secure a fair, effective and multilateral rules-based global climate change regime, said the DEA.