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This document is a formal appeal submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on behalf of four appellants—Earthlife Africa, groundWork, the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa, and Dzomo La Mupo—to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET). The appeal seeks to set aside Environmental Authorisation (EA) No. 12/1/9/2-V79, granted on 23 February 2022 to the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (SOC) Ltd (MMSEZ). The EA allows for the site clearance of 3,863 hectares of indigenous vegetation and the development of bulk infrastructure in the Vhembe District of Limpopo. The appellants argue that the EA is unlawful due to procedural irregularities, a lack of authority by the decision-maker, failure to assess cumulative and climate impacts, and the disregard of cultural heritage and water scarcity issues.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submits a formal objection to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's draft Gas Master Plan Basecase Report. The submission argues that the plan is 'reckless and unnecessary', contradicting South Africa's constitutional obligations to protect citizens from climate change and ignoring energy modelling that suggests gas-to-power is not required for energy security.

This RMI briefing argues that new gas-fired power plants in the United States are becoming increasingly uneconomic compared to Clean Energy Portfolios (CEPs). The document highlights a trend of gas plant cancellations and warns of significant stranded cost risks due to falling renewable energy prices and evolving policy priorities regarding health, jobs, and community impacts.

This briefing examines the political and economic drivers of coal-fired power investment in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) with significant electricity access gaps, noting that international public finance dominates coal investment while domestic private finance leads in renewables.

Groundwork South Africa submitted an affidavit to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) objecting to Karpowership SA Richards Bay's application for an electricity generation licence. The objection argues that the project fails to meet the requirements of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA) and the National Energy Regulator Act (NERA), citing severe environmental risks, lack of necessary permits, and the existence of cheaper, cleaner energy alternatives.

RMI argues that continued high spending on US gas distribution infrastructure is counterproductive to climate goals and risks creating stranded assets. The document advocates for a shift toward electrification and energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings, while limiting gas infrastructure spending to targeted safety needs and high-value industrial applications.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork and Earthlife Africa, submitted comments on July 23, 2021, regarding the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's (DFFE) draft Guideline for considering climate change implications in environmental authorisations and licenses. While welcoming the initiative, the CER argues that the draft is insufficient to address the climate crisis and fails to meet the legal requirements of the Constitution and the National Environment Management Act (NEMA). The submission advocates for a 1.5°C warming limit as the primary benchmark for emissions assessments rather than Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and calls for the inclusion of social costs of carbon and full lifecycle GHG emissions in project evaluations.

This report examines the financial risks faced by African oil and gas producers during the global energy transition, specifically the danger of 'stranded assets' and the vulnerability of National Oil Companies (NOCs). It argues that governments and NOCs often base investment decisions on unrealistic price assumptions and calls for increased transparency and the adoption of Paris Agreement-aligned scenarios to protect public finances.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and Oxpeckers analyzes global coal mine proposals, finding that 2,277 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of new capacity is under development. This expansion is led by China, Australia, India, and Russia, and is largely inconsistent with the 1.5°C warming limit of the Paris climate agreement.

This case study by Ember evaluates the transition strategy of ENGIE, a France-based global energy company. The report argues that ENGIE's reliance on converting coal plants to fossil gas and biomass, its lack of a comprehensive coal phase-out schedule, and its 2°C Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) accreditation are not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C objective.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for decarbonizing the US building sector, primarily through electrification. It outlines ten key strategies for public utilities commissions (PUCs) and government agencies to transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure, emphasizing equity, market transformation, and the management of stranded asset risks.

A statement by Climate Policy Initiative leaders and Joaquim Vieira Ferreira Levy arguing that government bailouts following the COVID-19 pandemic should be linked to climate-impact measures to avoid accumulating environmental debt and to foster long-term economic competitiveness.

This March 2020 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants in 2019. It highlights a general global decline in new coal plant starts and pre-construction activity, contrasted with a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China. The report details the shift in financing away from Western commercial banks toward public finance, particularly from Japan and China, and notes a record low in global coal plant utilization.

This case study examines India's fiscal and economic dependence on fossil fuels, detailing government revenues, subsidies, and the risks of asset stranding. It outlines the role of state-owned enterprises in the energy sector and the tension between India's renewable energy targets and its projected continued reliance on coal through 2040.

This case study examines Russia's economic and fiscal dependence on fossil fuels, detailing the sector's contribution to government revenue, the role of state-owned enterprises, and the fiscal implications of energy transition and climate policies.

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 briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the drivers of stressed coal power assets in India and advocates for a 'just transition' that prioritizes workers and communities over the protection of stranded assets.

This RMI briefing examines the economic risks of continuing to invest in natural gas power plants and interstate pipelines in the United States, arguing that falling costs of clean energy portfolios make these investments prone to becoming stranded assets.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the 'production gap'—the divergence between planned fossil fuel production and the levels consistent with Paris Agreement temperature goals. It argues that supply-side policies, such as production limits and subsidy removals, are essential to avoid carbon lock-in and achieve cost-effective emission reductions.

This briefing by Energy Innovation explores financial mechanisms to manage the transition of investor-owned utilities from fossil fuel generation to clean energy, specifically focusing on the use of debt-for-equity swaps to refinance unrecovered plant investments.