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The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill, 2013. The CER criticizes the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for failing to meaningfully consult civil society and mining-affected communities, identifies numerous drafting errors in the Bill, and provides detailed legal objections to proposed changes concerning environmental authorizations, penalty regimes, and the granting of mining rights.

A joint submission by five environmental organisations to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Amendment Bill [B15-2013]. The submission argues that the Bill and the principal Act fail to protect constitutional rights to fair administrative action and access to information for parties affected by mining.

A joint submission by several environmental organisations to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources arguing against the MPRDA Amendment Bill's proposal to transfer environmental authorisation and enforcement powers for mining activities to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). The authors contend that the DMR lacks the human resource capacity, budget, and track record to implement the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and that such a transfer creates an inherent conflict of interest between promoting mining and protecting the environment.

This joint submission by several environmental organisations and a consultant to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources addresses the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill [B15-2013]. The authors focus on the issues of mine closure, rehabilitation, and financial provision, specifically arguing against a proposed 20-year limit on the retention of funds for latent environmental impacts and calling for better alignment between the MPRDA and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).

This summary report details a September 2013 briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, regarding 'America’s Power Plan' (APP), a policy roadmap for achieving a high-renewables energy future. The document outlines the regional context of the Midwest, discusses the need for new utility business and regulatory models to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs), and highlights Xcel Energy's experience in integrating variable wind power.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines institutional and policy processes (IPPs) that can facilitate a transition to a green economy, using case studies from Ontario and Manitoba to illustrate their application and limitations.

This report, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in September 2013, reviews 16 benefit and cost studies of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) conducted between 2005 and 2013. It aims to establish a foundation for valuing distributed energy resources (DERs) by identifying methodological best practices and gaps in how the electricity sector quantifies the costs and benefits of DPV.

This report details the findings and recommendations from a two-day workshop conducted by the Electricity Innovation Lab (e-Lab) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest (NAVFAC Southwest) in April 2013. The document examines the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges of implementing microgrids on U.S. Navy bases to improve energy security and integrate renewable energy.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several community and environmental groups, submitted comments on August 23, 2013, regarding uMoya-NILU Consulting's Plan of Study (PoS). The PoS was designed to support Eskom's applications for exemptions and postponements of Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for its power stations. The CER argues that the PoS is too narrow in scope, fails to include critical pollutants like PM2.5, uses inappropriate modelling software for near-field impacts, and lacks a mechanism to verify model outputs against real-world ambient measurements.

This 2013 issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the funding crisis of the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF), noting that federal fuel taxes have not been adjusted in 20 years. The document analyzes the resulting infrastructure deterioration, the reliance on General Fund transfers to maintain solvency, and various policy options—including inflation indexing, fuel tax increases, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees—to close a $112 billion annual funding gap.

This report by Terry Townshend and Adam Matthews argues that ambitious domestic climate change legislation, specifically targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enables countries to champion more ambitious collective action within the UNFCCC international negotiations.

This policy brief examines the funding crisis facing the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF), noting that federal fuel taxes have not been adjusted since 1993. It details the resulting infrastructure deterioration, the reliance on General Fund transfers to maintain solvency, and various proposed solutions including inflation indexing, fuel tax increases, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees.

This document is an addendum to the report 'Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies', published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2013. The addendum provides corrected 2011 estimates for EU biofuel subsidies, specifically revising the figures for fuel excise tax exemptions, and details the calculation methodologies used for budgetary support and market price support.

This case study examines the funding landscape for infrastructure development within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), highlighting the critical funding gap and the complementary roles of traditional donors, new development partners, and private investors. It emphasizes the need to transition from aid-dependency to 'bankable' projects that can attract private capital to support regional integration and economic growth.

This case study examines the complexities of regional infrastructure planning in Southern Africa, focusing on the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP). It analyzes the roles of various stakeholders—including governments, development finance institutions, donors, and the private sector—and discusses the challenges of financing, coordination, and the socio-environmental impacts of large-scale projects, using the Lesotho Highlands Water Project as a specific example.

This case study examines the challenges and mechanisms for financing infrastructure in Africa, with a specific focus on the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It analyzes the shift from official development assistance and commercial bank lending toward alternative funding modalities, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure bonds, sovereign wealth funds, and diaspora-led financing, to meet the massive capital requirements of regional development plans.

This case study examines the establishment and impact of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in Southern Africa, analyzing how these regional public goods facilitate regional integration through the cooperation of member states, NGOs, and the private sector.

This case study examines the development of the Regional Electricity Market (REM) within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), an association of national utilities from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. It analyzes the transition from a cooperative pool to a competitive market, the role of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and the challenges posed by diverse national agendas and infrastructure deficits.

This report, part of the Political Economy of Regional Integration in Southern Africa (PERISA) project, examines regional integration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through the lens of public goods rather than trade. It analyzes four case studies—water resource management, forestry (REDD+), transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)—to identify drivers of success and institutional barriers to integration.

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), filed an internal appeal to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 26 July 2013. The appeal challenges the DMR's refusal to grant access to records regarding seabed prospecting rights and strategies in South Africa's territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which the DMR claimed would substantially and unreasonably divert its resources.