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This document contains the heads of argument submitted by ACWA Power to the Appeal Authority of the Nkangala District Municipality. ACWA argues that an appeal brought by the non-profit organization GroundWork against the transfer of a Provisional Atmospheric Emission Licence (PAEL) should be dismissed because GroundWork, as a third party, lacks the legal standing to appeal under section 62 of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000.

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.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of several environmental campaigns and alliances, requested that the South African Department of Environmental Affairs urgently withdraw a provision in the amended List of Activities published on 31 October 2018. The CER argues that this provision improperly weakens the sulphur dioxide (SO2) minimum emission standards (MES) for existing solid-fuel combustion plants without public consultation.

This document is a formal comment by groundWork submitted to the South African Department of Energy regarding the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2018. The author argues that the IRP 2018 fails to address the urgency of the climate crisis, underestimates the health and environmental costs of coal, and maintains an outdated energy model that prioritizes coal and gas over a rapid transition to renewables.

The Freshwater Research Centre (FRC) conducted a review of the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (DEIR) for the Mokolo and Crocodile River (West) Water Augmentation Project (Phase 2A). The FRC concludes that the assessment of operational phase impacts on aquatic ecosystems is inadequate, particularly regarding water quality, hydrology, and the transfer of invasive biota between catchments.

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).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal request to Eskom on 12 October 2018 for documentation regarding the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power station projects under the Coal Baseload Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal request (CER-2018-DMR-0002) to the Department of Mineral Resources on 8 October 2018, seeking a wide range of records concerning the Operation Phakisa marine protected area network and offshore oil and gas activities.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal request to Eskom on 8 October 2018 for records and reports concerning the Medupi and Kusile coal-fired power stations. The request focuses on environmental compliance, Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) installation progress, water supply arrangements, and communications with the World Bank and African Development Bank.

The Centre for Environmental Rights submitted a request to the Department of Environmental Affairs on 8 October 2018 for records concerning the Operation Phakisa marine protected area network. The request seeks public participation reports, representations from the Department of Mineral Resources and the Petroleum Agency of South Africa, justifications for a phased declaration approach, economic growth projections, and environmental authorisations for offshore oil and gas producers since 2006.

On 8 October 2018, the Centre for Environmental Rights requested records from the Department of Environmental Affairs concerning borehole drilling under section 30A of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998. The request seeks a list of all such directives, records of alternative site considerations, water use licences from the Department of Water and Sanitation, permissions for drilling in nature reserves, approved intervention plans, and Records of Decision for directives issued during the drought.

The Spatial Challenges and Opportunities Report (2018) provides a comprehensive biophysical, socio-economic, and built environment analysis of Mpumalanga Province to inform its Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF). The report identifies a resource-based economy heavily dependent on coal mining and electricity generation, while highlighting significant spatial fragmentation, infrastructure backlogs, and environmental threats to biodiversity and water sources.

The Broad-Based Socio-Economic Empowerment Charter for the Mining and Minerals Industry, 2018, is a regulatory instrument published by the South African Minister of Mineral Resources to redress historical socio-economic inequalities. It establishes mandatory targets for ownership, procurement, employment equity, human resource development, and community development for mining right holders and certain license holders under the Diamonds Act and Precious Metals Act.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), groundWork, and local community members, issued an urgent notice to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on 26 September 2018. The notice demands that the DEA direct ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to remedy ongoing air, water, and soil pollution at its Vanderbijlpark operations, following the DEA's failure to act on a previous section 28(12) notice from June 2018.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of Earthlife Africa and groundWork, submitted comments on September 20, 2018, objecting to the Atmospheric Emission Licence (AEL) application for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The CER argues that the project should be refused because it is located in an air quality priority area already in non-compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and is predicted to cause further non-compliance, specifically regarding sulphur dioxide (SO2). The CER claims the Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR) is fatally flawed due to gross miscalculations of emissions, missing modelling data, and a failure to adequately assess cumulative and health impacts.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) requesting transparency and legal reasons regarding the potential financing of the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power plants.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urges ABSA Group Limited to withdraw financial support for the proposed Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The CER argues that these projects are not 'procured', face significant legal challenges, and contradict the 'least cost' options identified in the 2018 draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The document highlights severe health risks for residents in the Waterberg-Bojanala and Highveld Priority Areas, high greenhouse gas emission intensities, and the potential for these projects to cost South Africa nearly R20 billion more than necessary.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urges FirstRand Bank to withdraw financial support for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power plant. The letter argues that the project is economically unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and legally precarious, contradicting the bank's own commitments to a lower-carbon economy.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urges Nedbank to withdraw financial support for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power plants. The letter argues that these projects are not 'least-cost' options, face significant legal challenges regarding environmental and generation licenses, and would cause severe health and climate impacts in South Africa.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urging Standard Bank to withdraw financial support for the proposed Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power plants in South Africa.