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Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil
The report examines the digital footprint of 15 major Brazilian companies in the agribusiness, mining, and fossil fuel sectors, finding a wide disparity in the volume of sustainability communications. While all analyzed companies acknowledge climate change, the report identifies significant signs of greenwashing, including the use of vague language and green imagery to mask negative environmental impacts. It highlights a contradiction between corporate narratives—which frame these sectors as 'part of the solution'—and actual records, such as Petrobras, Vale, and Shell being among the top 10 companies most fined by Ibama between 2000 and 2025. Additionally, the report notes the use of targeted Meta advertising and influencer partnerships, particularly by Petrobras, to amplify sustainability messaging to younger audiences.
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Document type: Briefing
SKM_28720050814180
This document consists of the Appellants' Practice Note and Heads of Argument filed in the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa on 8 May 2020. The Appellants, including the Global Environmental Trust and the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation, are appealing a High Court judgment that found in favour of Tendele Coal Mining (Pty) Ltd. The appeal centers on whether Tendele's mining operations at the Somkhele Mine were conducted lawfully without specific environmental authorisations under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), municipal land use approvals, waste management licences, and permits for the relocation of community graves.
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Document type: Briefing
1.4-annexures-4-29c174f5574f969f.pdf
This document consists of several annexures related to two proposed coal mining projects in Mpumalanga, South Africa: the Lusthof Colliery and the WPB Colliery. The first part is a draft report from 2012 by Dr. Hugo van Zyl for Black Gold Coal Estates (BGCE) regarding the financial provisioning for a Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Lusthof Colliery, estimating a required provision of approximately R74.42 million to cover construction and 100 years of post-closure operation. The second part contains correspondence and reviews from 2013 to 2015 regarding the WPB Colliery, featuring objections from BirdLife South Africa and technical reviews by Golder Associates. These reviews highlight 'fatal flaws' in the WPB Colliery's water use license application, specifically the lack of adequate acid mine drainage (AMD) assessment, insufficient public participation, and flawed geochemical modelling for pollution mitigation.
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Document type: Report
17-06-2021-cer-comments-on-the-draft-asm-policy-2021-f5fc80e02cd7b026.pdf
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) provides comments on the draft Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Policy 2021, arguing that ASM operators should be held to the same environmental, water, and health and safety standards as large-scale miners to prevent poverty and inequality caused by environmental degradation.
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Document type: Statement
SKM_28720072311360
This document consists of the heads of argument filed by Tendele Coal Mining (Pty) Limited (the First Respondent) in the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. The filing is a response to arguments submitted by an amicus curiae (the Centre for Environmental Rights) regarding whether mining operations commencing before 8 December 2014 required both a mining right under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and a separate environmental authorisation under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
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Document type: Briefing
2011-cope-koornhof-q737-contamination-of-the-vaal-rivers-upper-catchment-from-coal-mining-and-abandoned-mines-causing-acid-mine-drainage-35cd3757c18b62f2.pdf
This document is a draft written reply from the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs to a National Assembly question (Question 737) posed by Mr N J J van R Koornhof of the COPE party in March 2011. The inquiry focuses on the contamination of the Vaal River's upper catchment due to coal mining and the risk of acid mine drainage from abandoned mines.
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Document type: Briefing
2011-da-morgan-q1816-current-location-of-all-decant-points-of-acid-mine-drainage-on-the-west-rand-and-related-ph-and-sulphate-levels-b18af813b208d5d3.pdf
This document is a draft written reply from the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs to a National Assembly question (Question 1816) asked by Mr G R Morgan (DA) regarding acid mine drainage (AMD) on the West Rand.
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Document type: Briefing
9-049d4dd440ba8aa7.pdf
The document consists of a series of legal and administrative records regarding a land-use change application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The application, submitted by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd, sought to rezone the land from agricultural to 'special' use to allow for mining and related activities. The process involved multiple objections from environmental organizations and landowners, a dismissal by a local planning tribunal based on a lack of locus standi, a subsequent appeal, and a final approval by the Gert Sibande District Municipal Planning Tribunal on 29 April 2019.
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Document type: Report
KM_C654e-20190503152813
The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Prevention Plan 1 (2017-2020) for African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) outlines the company's strategy for monitoring and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its ferrous division operations in South Africa, in compliance with the National Air Quality Act of 2004.
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Document type: Report
KM_C554e-20161116154632
This document is a technical report from the Chief Directorate: Water Use Authorisation Authority of the Department of Water and Sanitation of the Republic of South Africa, dated July 5, 2016. It details the water management infrastructure, water balance simulations, and environmental impacts associated with mining activities by Atha-Africa Ventures, specifically focusing on the YUCM (Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine) and surrounding areas including Kromhoek, Vaalbank, and Goedgevonden.
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Document type: Report
annexure-n-3bed973f48d44d9e.pdf
The document provides a detailed risk assessment and mitigation matrix for various mining-related activities, including water abstraction, infrastructure construction (roads, pipelines, and slabs), and underground mining. It focuses on the impacts on wetland systems (specifically S1, S2, S4, S7, S8, S9, S10, S12, S13, and S14) and groundwater, outlining measures such as the use of Class C liners, groundwater monitoring, and rehabilitation plans to prevent habitat transformation and pollution.
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Document type: Report
annexure-ra10-3acb20cabcb5c6cf.pdf
This document is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) for the Tormin Mine Extension, prepared by SRK Consulting for MSR. It details the potential environmental impacts of the mine expansion, proposed mitigation measures, and the financial and operational plans for rehabilitation and closure.
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Document type: Report
appeal-decision-19e4b3e7fa30c8b2.pdf
This document is a decision by the MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs of Mpumalanga Province to dismiss an appeal brought by the Centre for Environmental Rights. The appeal challenged the environmental authorisation granted to Atha-Africa Ventured for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine, located on Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT within the Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality.
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Document type: Statement
applicants-heads-of-argument-interlocutory-application-150519-860506fc9abf5770.pdf
This document consists of the applicants' (defendants') heads of argument filed in the High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division) on 15 May 2019. The applicants, including environmental lawyers and a community activist, are seeking an order to compel Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR) to disclose documents relevant to a defamation lawsuit. MSR is suing the applicants overS for statements made during a University of Cape Town course on 25 January 2017, which alleged that MSR operated its Tormin Mine in breach of mining, environmental, and land use planning laws. The applicants argue that the requested documents are essential to prove the truth of their statements and to protect their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and academic freedom.
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Document type: Briefing
applicants-notice-ito-rule-16a-04cc8aab01466fe1.pdf
This document is a legal notice filed in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria) in August 2017. It outlines the grounds upon which several applicants, including Mining and Environmental Justice and GroundWork, seek the review and setting aside of decisions made by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources to allow Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to conduct commercial mining in the Mabola Protected Environment.
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Document type: Statement
arm-ghg-report-c62ac965d14cdb23.pdf
This document is a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data submission for the period of 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018, provided by African Rainbow Minerals Limited on 29 March 2019.
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Document type: Report
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL PROVISION REGULATIONS FOR MINING, OIL AND GAS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The document defines financial provision as secured funds set aside by extractive companies to cover the costs of environmental rehabilitation, based on the 'polluter must pay' principle. It highlights the systemic problem of 'derelict and ownerless' mines and mine abandonment in South Africa, which exacerbates poverty and inequality. The regulations aim to ensure companies remain accountable for environmental damage, prevent the State from becoming liable for cleanup costs, and establish clear methods for calculating rehabilitation costs. The guide encourages affected communities to engage in public participation processes by requesting detailed closure plans and costing information from companies and environmental assessment practitioners.
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Document type: Guide
REQUEST FOR MEETING ON REVIEW OF MINERALS AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has requested a meeting with the South African Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to discuss the ongoing review of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002. The CER, acting on behalf of a strategy group of over ten non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, and academic institutions, aims to share expertise on environmental compliance, transparency, and accountability in mining to ensure draft legislation has greater civil society buy-in from an early stage.
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Document type: Statement
Mining and your Community: Know your Environmental Rights
The guide outlines the legal framework for mining in South Africa, emphasizing the rights of affected communities to information, a healthy environment, and consultation. It details the four primary government permissions required for mining—mining/prospecting rights, environmental management plans, water use licences, and environmental authorisations—and provides a roadmap for community members to object to applications, seek compensation, and report environmental crimes.
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Document type: Guide
APPLICATION FOR SUSPENSION IN TERMS OF SECTION 96(2) OF THE MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT, 2002 (“MPRDA”)
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has applied for the suspension of a decision by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to grant extended mining rights to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd and Tormin Mineral Sands (Pty) Ltd at the Tormin mine. The CER argues that the expansion occurs within Critical Biodiversity Areas and that the environmental impacts are irreversible and inadequately assessed.
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Document type: Statement