SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT UPSTREAM PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2019

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submits that the draft Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, 2019 is deficient in its approach to the climate crisis and community welfare. The CER argues that gas exploration and production pose severe risks to climate, air, water, and marine environments, and that the Bill's consultation processes are 'woefully inadequate'. Furthermore, the CER criticizes the lack of a robust Social and Labour Plan (SLP) framework to ensure benefits reach affected communities, noting that a proposed 20% state carried interest is an insufficient substitute for local development. The submission also calls for stronger administrative penalties to ensure corporate compliance with environmental laws.

• The CER asserts that the public consultation process for the Bill is insufficient, particularly criticizing the reliance on government gazette notifications which are not accessible to most affected communities.
• The document argues that the Bill fails to account for the climate crisis, specifically the high global warming potential of methane emissions from gas production, which can make gas as harmful as coal if upstream emissions are between 2.8% and 3.2%.
• Gas production is identified as a major threat to water resources in water-stressed countries like South Africa due to the massive volumes of water required for hydraulic fracturing and the risk of contaminating aquifers with radioactive materials and toxic heavy metals.
• The CER claims the Bill lacks a necessary framework for Social and Labour Plans (SLPs), arguing that the proposed 20% state carried interest is not a justifiable substitute for community upliftment.
• The submission highlights that existing community development funds in the mining sector are often mismanaged, citing a PWC report showing only 0.9% of mine-generated value goes toward community development between 2009 and 2018.
• The CER argues that the Bill's administrative penalty provisions are too weak to effectively incentivize compliance, especially given the poor track record of criminal prosecutions for environmental crimes.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2020). SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT UPSTREAM PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2019. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CER-supplementary-submissions-UPRDB-2019_-05-August-2020.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT UPSTREAM PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2019. 2020. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CER-supplementary-submissions-UPRDB-2019_-05-August-2020.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT UPSTREAM PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2019 |date=5 August 2020 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CER-supplementary-submissions-UPRDB-2019_-05-August-2020.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2020supplementary, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT UPSTREAM PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2019}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CER-supplementary-submissions-UPRDB-2019_-05-August-2020.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }