SUBMISSIONS ON THE GAS AMENDMENT BILL [B – 2023] PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 19 JANUARY 2024

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal (LAC) coalition, submitted comments on the Gas Amendment Bill [B – 2023], arguing that accelerating gas infrastructure is irrational given the climate emergency and South Africa's extreme vulnerability to climate change. The submission criticizes the Bill for inadequate public consultation processes, lack of transparency regarding confidential information, and a failure to align with international climate targets such as the IPCC's 1.5°C benchmark.

• The LAC coalition argues that the Gas Amendment Bill is irrational because it seeks to accelerate fossil fuel infrastructure development at a time when South Africa must abandon fossil fuels to meet climate goals and protect its population from extreme vulnerability to climate change.
• The submission asserts that gas cannot serve as a 'bridge fuel' to clean energy because new gas development is incompatible with the IPCC's 1.5°C target, and the infrastructure required creates a long-term fossil fuel dependence.
• The document highlights the high climate impact of methane, the primary component of gas, noting it is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term and is the second-largest driver of climate change.
• The CER criticizes Clause 9 and Clause 11 of the Bill for providing inadequate notice and vague objection processes, arguing that they fail to ensure meaningful consultation, particularly for illiterate populations or those in rural areas.
• The submission claims that Clause 28, which allows the Energy Regulator to determine what information is confidential, violates constitutional rights to fair administrative action and access to information, effectively forcing affected parties to submit objections 'blindfolded'.
• The CER expresses concern over Clause 7, which allows the Minister to declare certain gas activities as no longer requiring a license, arguing this creates a loophole that undermines accountability.
• The coalition recommends that the government adopt the international principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to empower communities and protect socio-economic human rights.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2024). SUBMISSIONS ON THE GAS AMENDMENT BILL [B – 2023] PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 19 JANUARY 2024. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FINAL_CER-obo-LAC-GAB-comments-29-02-2024.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SUBMISSIONS ON THE GAS AMENDMENT BILL [B – 2023] PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 19 JANUARY 2024. 2024. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FINAL_CER-obo-LAC-GAB-comments-29-02-2024.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SUBMISSIONS ON THE GAS AMENDMENT BILL [B – 2023] PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 19 JANUARY 2024 |date=29 February 2024 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FINAL_CER-obo-LAC-GAB-comments-29-02-2024.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2024submissions, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SUBMISSIONS ON THE GAS AMENDMENT BILL [B – 2023] PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 19 JANUARY 2024}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FINAL_CER-obo-LAC-GAB-comments-29-02-2024.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }