Search Climate Insights Directory

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) filed an appeal on July 9, 2019, against an integrated environmental authorisation (IEA) granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR). The authorisation allows MSR to extend mining operations at Tormin Mine, affecting ten beaches and inland areas on the Farm Geelwal Karoo 262 and other farms in the Varhynsdorp Magisterial District, Western Cape. The CER argues that the authorisation was granted through an unlawful circumvention of the mining right application process and fails to protect Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) filed an appeal on July 9, 2019, against an environmental authorisation granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR). The authorisation concerned the unlawful commencement of activities (Section 24G) at Tormin Mine on the Farm Geelwal Karoo 262 in the Western Cape. The CER argues that the authorisation is flawed due to a lack of practitioner independence and a failure to account for the site's location within critical biodiversity areas and a global biodiversity hotspot.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) filed an appeal on 9 July 2019 against an environmental authorisation granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR). The authorisation concerned the unlawful commencement of activities (Section 24G) on the Farm Geelwal Karoo 262 in the Western Cape, specifically regarding the Tormin Mine.

A notice of appeal filed on 3 July 2019 by a coalition of eight civil society and community non-profit organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), challenging the decision of the Gert Sibande District Municipal Planning Tribunal to approve a land-use change application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT in Mpumalanga Province.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights evaluates water use licence (WUL) compliance among eight large coal mining operations in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. It concludes that the regulatory system has effectively disintegrated, characterized by massive failures by the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS), non-compliance by mining companies, and misleading reports from independent auditors.

This report by RMI examines strategies for decarbonizing bulk material hauling in the mining sector, highlighting the significant emissions from haul trucks and the need for disruptive technology by 2040 to meet International Energy Agency targets.

This policy brief examines the intersection of mining, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and the transition to a low-carbon circular economy, using South Africa as a primary case study. It argues that while a low-carbon future requires increased mineral extraction, this must be decoupled from environmental degradation through green industrialisation and technological innovation.

This report is an appeal by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) against an integrated environmental authorisation (IEA) granted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd (MSR). The appeal contests the expansion of mining operations at Tormin Mine, arguing that the authorisation was granted through an unlawful circumvention of the mining right application process and fails to adequately protect Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs).

A collaborative project between Svemin and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) used exploratory scenarios to develop a sustainability roadmap for the Swedish mining sector, identifying 31 key action points to navigate the sector toward a sustainable future by 2050.

This research paper outlines a protocol for a systematic mapping of evidence regarding the social and environmental impacts of metal mining activities in Boreal and Arctic regions.

This report describes a workshop held from July 1 to 5, 2019, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, focused on managing community development related to the mining industry for member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Organized by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) and the WAEMU Commission, the event aimed to improve the use of mining local development funds (MLDFs) and other community development tools.

The Pretoria High Court set aside a decision by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources to allow Atha-Africa Ventures 16 (Pty) Ltd to mine in the Mabola Protected Environment, citing procedural unfairness, lack of transparency, and failure to apply environmental management principles.

This document is a petition submitted on November 2, 2018, by three Romanian non-governmental organizations—Alburnus Maior, Greenpeace Romania, and the Independent Center for the Development of Environmental Resources (ICDER)—requesting non-disputing party (amicus curiae) status in the ICSID arbitration case Gabriel Resources Ltd. and Gabriel Resources (Jersey) v. Romania. The petitioners seek to provide the Tribunal with evidence and perspectives on the environmental, cultural, and social impacts of a proposed open-pit gold mine in Roşia Montană, as well as details regarding domestic legal challenges to the project.

This amicus curiae submission, filed by Alburnus Maior, Centrul Independent pentru Dezvoltarea Resurselor de Mediu (ICDER), and Greenpeace Romania, argues that Gabriel Resources Ltd. failed to meet investor responsibilities and legal requirements regarding a proposed gold mine in Roșia Montană, Romania. The document contends that the company lacked due diligence on project feasibility, violated human rights related to adequate housing, and failed to obtain necessary environmental and archaeological permits under Romanian and EU law.

This briefing contains the applicants' notes for oral argument in a High Court case challenging the decisions of the Ministers of Environmental Affairs and Mineral Resources to permit mining in the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE). The applicants, a group of environmental and human rights NGOs, argue that the decisions were made without transparency, procedural fairness, or regard for the specific statutory duties imposed by the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEMPAA).

This briefing by RMI discusses the dual role of the mining industry in the energy transition, highlighting its necessity in providing raw materials for low-carbon technologies while facing significant pressure to decarbonize its own operations to align with the Paris Agreement.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a response on 16 July 2018 to the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality, reiterating objections to a land-use change application for a proposed mine. The CER argues that the subject property is a high-priority conservation area and that the Municipality has the legal authority and obligation under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) to consider environmental and water impacts, despite claims to the contrary by the applicant's agent.

This document is a formal response from a land development applicant, submitted by Peter Dacomb of The Practice Group, to the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality. The response addresses various objections and letters of support regarding an application to change the land use of Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT from agricultural to mining and related purposes under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (SPLUMA) and the 2016 Municipal By-law.

This briefing by RMI argues that mining companies in developing countries can improve financial and climate resilience by transitioning from inefficient diesel power to renewable energy. By co-creating business models with local communities, mining operations can address their own energy needs while expanding energy access and supporting sustainable development in remote regions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing various non-governmental and community-based organisations, submitted comments to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) regarding the 2018 Draft Amendments to the National Dust Control Regulations 2013. The CER argues that the draft regulations remain inadequate for protecting human health and the environment, particularly for mining-affected communities, and calls for more rigorous enforcement, better monitoring methods, and the inclusion of specific health-related analyses for toxic dust.