Search Climate Insights Directory

This guide, published by Natural Justice in March 2025, provides small-scale fishing communities in South Africa with a framework for seeking "ocean justice." It details the legal rights of citizens to a healthy environment, the regulatory processes for environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and the risks associated with offshore oil, gas, and mining activities. The document emphasizes the importance of community participation in law-making and the use of legal tools like the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to challenge industrial developments that threaten biodiversity, traditional livelihoods, and cultural heritage.

This guide, published by Natural Justice in March 2025, provides small-scale fishing communities in South Africa with a framework for pursuing 'ocean justice'. It details the legal rights of these communities, the environmental and socio-economic impacts of industrial developments like oil and gas exploration, and practical steps for participating in environmental impact assessments and legislative processes to protect their livelihoods and the marine environment.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA), requesting information from Investec Group regarding its role in financing Karpowership SA. The letter highlights environmental concerns, legal challenges, and potential contradictions with Investec's net-zero commitments.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA), sent a request for information to Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş. (Isbank) regarding its role in financing Karpowership, a joint venture operating in South Africa. The letter highlights environmental and legal challenges facing the project and questions the bank's alignment with its Net Zero Banking Initiative commitments.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA), requesting information from the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) regarding its role in financing Karpowership, specifically in relation to proposed floating gas-to-power projects in South Africa.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA), requesting information from Standard Chartered Bank regarding its role in financing Karpowership South Africa. The letter highlights environmental concerns, legal challenges, and potential contradictions with the bank's net-zero commitments.

This techno-economic evaluation by Clyde Mallinson analyzes the South African Risk Mitigation Power Producers Procurement Programme (RM4P). The report argues that the Request for Proposals (RFP) was designed for gas-dominated projects, creating restrictive rules that unfairly penalize renewable energy and storage projects, thereby making gas projects appear more cost-competitive than they are. The author suggests that a technology-agnostic, system-integrated approach could significantly reduce tariffs and carbon emissions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of groundwork, wrote to the National Energy Regulator SA (NERSA) on 6 July 2021 to request a 90-day extension for commenting on electricity generation licence applications for three Karpowership gas power projects. The CER argues that the public participation process is flawed and that the projects' national significance warrants wider advertisement beyond local newspapers.

This document is a cover letter from the organization groundWork to the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, formally lodging an appeal under Section 43(2) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998. The appeal seeks to set aside a decision made on 31 March 2021 by the Chief Director to re-issue an environmental authorisation (number 14/12/16/3/3/2/867) to Richards Bay Gas to Power 2 (Pty) Ltd.

A statement from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urging the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries to prioritise the Climate Change Bill and accelerate South Africa's transition away from fossil fuels to mitigate severe climate risks.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) examines the challenges of measuring and understanding public violence in South Africa. It critiques existing data sources, such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) IRIS system, and presents preliminary findings from the ISS's own Public Violence Monitoring project (2013-2015). The paper explores the drivers of collective violence, including socio-economic inequality and government unresponsiveness, and analyzes the roles of local government, community leadership, and the police in escalating or mitigating public disorder.

This research paper examines the foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape in South Africa, analyzing the tension between maintaining an open investment regime and the government's shift toward maximizing domestic socio-economic benefits. It highlights South Africa's role as a gateway to the SADC region, the volatility of FDI flows, and the specific challenges and opportunities across the mining, retail, and manufacturing sectors.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) maps the investment landscape of South Africa as of January 2012. It examines the impact of the global economic crisis on foreign direct investment (FDI), analyzes the government's industrial policies such as the New Growth Path (NGP), and provides a detailed catalogue of financial and fiscal incentives designed to attract investment and create jobs. The document also includes survey results from provincial investment promotion agencies (IPAs) regarding the effectiveness and awareness of these incentive schemes.

This research paper examines the growth, structure, and regulation of the private security industry in South Africa as of 1999. It analyzes the industry's shift toward performing functions traditionally reserved for the police, the resulting tensions regarding accountability and human rights, and the industry's expansion into other African nations.

The Regulations in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998, establish a comprehensive legal framework for the management, conservation, and exploitation of marine living resources in South African waters. The document details administrative procedures, gear restrictions, species-specific limits, mariculture standards, and compliance monitoring systems to ensure sustainable fisheries management.

This monograph, published by the Institute for Security Studies in February 1997, examines the strategic utility of naval power for South Africa in the post-Cold War era. It consists of several papers discussing the renewal of the South African Navy (SAN) fleet, the evolving nature of global security, and opportunities for maritime cooperation in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean rims. The document highlights the SAN's struggle with obsolete equipment and funding shortages while arguing that naval power remains a flexible, benign tool for diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and the protection of marine resources and economic interests.

This document is a legal affidavit filed by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) challenging decisions made by the South African Ministers of Environment and Mineral Resources to permit coal mining by Atha in the Mpumalanga Protected Environment (MPE). The CER argues that these decisions were procedurally unfair, based on outdated environmental reports, and ignored critical statutory duties regarding local community interests, international environmental obligations, and the precautionary principle.

The provided document consists of a Mining Right granted to Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd by the South African Department of Mineral Resources, an Environmental Authorisation from the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, and a Water Use Licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation. These documents collectively authorise the development and operation of the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine in the Mpumalanga Province, detailing the legal obligations, environmental mitigation requirements, and water management constraints imposed on the holder.

This document contains the Applicant's Heads of Argument and Practice Note filed by the City of Cape Town in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria). The City is seeking a declaratory order regarding the interpretation of section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 (ERA), arguing that a ministerial determination is not required for an independent power producer (IPP) to establish a new power plant and supply electricity to the City. The City contends that the current interpretation held by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the Minister of Energy is either legally incorrect or unconstitutional as it infringes upon the autonomy of local government.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa has refused an application for Environmental Authorisation submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for a 540MW Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Ngqura. The refusal is based on significant failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, including inadequate public consultation, missing critical specialist studies on underwater noise, and gaps in the provided environmental assessments.