PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT, OUTLINING SOUTH AFRICA’S POSITION TOWARDS THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) IN PARIS, FRANCE, IN DECEMBER 2015

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that South Africa's climate position for COP21 must be grounded in Constitutional obligations to protect human health and the environment. The CER contends that current investments in coal-fired power stations contradict national climate goals and that the state requires transparent, science-based emission regulations and enforcement to meet its legal duties.

• South Africa's negotiating position for COP21 should be based on Constitutional obligations, specifically section 24, to ensure the environment is not harmful to health or wellbeing and is protected for future generations.
• Mitigating contributions to global warming is a legal and Constitutional obligation for the state, not merely a policy choice. The CER cites the Urgenda v the State of the Netherlands case as a precedent where a court ruled that inadequate emission cuts were unlawful based on a state's duty of care.
• Current South African energy decisions, specifically the construction of the Medupi and Kusile coal-fired power stations and the pursuit of at least 9 additional independent coal power projects, contradict national climate response policies and the objectives for COP21.
• The CER identifies nine specific proposed or pending coal-fired power projects that threaten water-stressed areas and regions with poor air quality, including Thabametsi, KiPower, Vedanta, Transalloys, Umbani, Colenso, Waterberg Power Company, Boikarabelo, and Khanyisa.
• Effective climate mitigation requires the establishment of science-based, enforceable emission reduction obligations and a move away from 'regulation by negotiation' with industry.
• The draft National Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting regulations are criticized for lacking ambition regarding transparency, as they do not require reporting of emissions at the facility level or detailed operational data.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT, OUTLINING SOUTH AFRICA’S POSITION TOWARDS THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) IN PARIS, FRANCE, IN DECEMBER 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-REPRESENTATIONS-TO-PCEA-CC-COP21-PUBLIC-HEARINGS-20-9-2015-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT, OUTLINING SOUTH AFRICA’S POSITION TOWARDS THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) IN PARIS, FRANCE, IN DECEMBER 2015. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-REPRESENTATIONS-TO-PCEA-CC-COP21-PUBLIC-HEARINGS-20-9-2015-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT, OUTLINING SOUTH AFRICA’S POSITION TOWARDS THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) IN PARIS, FRANCE, IN DECEMBER 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-REPRESENTATIONS-TO-PCEA-CC-COP21-PUBLIC-HEARINGS-20-9-2015-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrightsndpublic, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{PUBLIC HEARINGS OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT, OUTLINING SOUTH AFRICA’S POSITION TOWARDS THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) IN PARIS, FRANCE, IN DECEMBER 2015}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CER-REPRESENTATIONS-TO-PCEA-CC-COP21-PUBLIC-HEARINGS-20-9-2015-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }