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The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of groundWork (gW), has issued an urgent request to the South African Department of Water and Sanitation for information and reasons regarding a water use licence (WUL) issued for the proposed 600 MW Khanyisa Independent Power Producer (IPP) coal-fired power station.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) and groundWork (gW), submitted a statement to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on 1 March 2018. The statement outlines critical shortcomings in ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) Land Contamination Site Assessment Report for its Vanderbijlpark site, arguing that the report is non-compliant with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008 (NEMWA) and fails to adequately address serious contamination migrating off-site.

A letter from the Life After Coal Campaign to South Africa's Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe, requesting a meeting to discuss the country's energy trajectory and advocating for a just transition from coal and nuclear power to renewable energy.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, submitted a formal request to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regarding the proposed public hearings for the Khanyisa and Thabametsi coal-fired power stations. The CER argues that proceeding with hearings on 27 March 2018 would be premature and procedurally unfair unless all supplemental application information is disclosed and sufficient preparation time is granted.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental justice organizations, issued a formal letter to the Director-General of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on 26 February 2018. The letter demands urgent action to address air pollution in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), specifically criticizing the DEA's handling of minimum emission standards (MES) compliance, its failure to respond to the 'Broken Promises' report, and the health impacts of emissions from Eskom and Sasol.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal statement to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs on 23 February 2018, requesting clarity on the strategic alignment of various climate mitigation and adaptation documents, including the 'Pathways documents'. The CER expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding the purpose of these documents and the confidentiality of pollution prevention plans for major emitters, while arguing that climate modelling should reflect research showing that new coal-fired power capacity is unnecessary for South Africa's energy security.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing Earthlife Africa and groundWork, notified the IPP Office of its intention to review and set aside the Minister of Environmental Affairs' January 30, 2018, decision to uphold the environmental authorisation for the Thabametsi coal-fired power station.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal campaign and the Highveld Environmental Justice Alliance Network (HEJN), submitted formal objections to Eskom's Background Information Document (BID) regarding a second postponement application for Minimum Emission Standards (MES) at the Tutuka Power Station. The submission argues that the application is legally impermissible because Tutuka is located in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), where ambient air quality does not comply with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), a prerequisite for any postponement. The CER further contends that Eskom's request for a "rolling postponement" is equivalent to an illegal exemption and that the BID intentionally withholds critical information regarding pollutants, timeframes, and health impacts to mislead the public and decision-makers.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, submitted a letter to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 16 February 2018 requesting the postponement of public hearings for the proposed Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The CER argues that pending litigation over environmental authorisations, missing water and atmospheric emission licences, and the lack of a promulgated new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) prevent NERSA from making a legally consistent and public-interest-based decision.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has notified the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs of its intention to challenge the Minister of Environmental Affairs' January 30, 2018, decision to uphold the environmental authorisation for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The CER argues the decision is unreasonable and unlawful, as it relies on an outdated energy policy to justify a project with very high greenhouse gas emissions and water scarcity risks, contradicting a previous High Court judgment regarding the necessity of independent climate impact assessments.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, notified Thabametsi Power Company (Pty) Ltd on 7 February 2018 of its intent to legally challenge the Minister of Environmental Affairs' 30 January 2018 decision to uphold the company's 2015 environmental authorisation. The CER stated the decision is unlawful and will be reviewed under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000 (PAJA), warning the company that proceeding with authorised activities is at its own risk.

A letter from the Life After Coal Campaign to the Chairman of Eskom's Board of Directors, arguing that Eskom's reliance on coal-fired power is economically unsustainable and creates severe liabilities regarding human health, water, and the environment.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for several NGOs, sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on 19 January 2018. The letter outlines the outcomes and commitments from a meeting held on 12 December 2017 regarding the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), specifically addressing the DEA's delayed response to the 'Broken Promises Report' and the roles of NGOs in community representation.

A statement from the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle campaign (comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights, groundWork, and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg) addressed to the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs. The letter seeks clarification and proposes amendments to the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Regulations and the National Pollution Prevention Plan Regulations, citing ambiguities that could undermine climate reporting and transparency.

This executive summary from the 2018 'Brown to Green' report analyzes the progress of G20 countries toward a low-carbon economy. It highlights a significant gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the goals of the Paris Agreement, noting that G20 energy-related CO2 emissions began increasing again in 2017 and that 82% of the G20 energy supply remains dependent on fossil fuels.

The ATI Network Shadow Report 2018, compiled by the South African History Archive (SAHA) and other civil society members, evaluates the effectiveness of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) in South Africa between 1 June 2017 and 31 July 2018. The report highlights systemic failures in public body compliance, including high rates of non-responsiveness and the misuse of legal provisions to delay information release, while also discussing the challenges of accessing data from private bodies and the impact of these barriers on rights to education and the environment.

This executive summary of a 2018 report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) examines the legal and practical regulation of wild animal welfare in South Africa. It argues that the current legal regime is outdated and provides little protection for wild animals, particularly those under human control, due to a divide between biodiversity conservation and animal welfare laws.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, wrote to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 5 December 2017 regarding licensing applications for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The letter challenges NERSA's handling of the applications, highlighting outstanding water use licences (WUL), atmospheric emission licences (AEL), and ongoing court reviews.

This document is a cover letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the Water Tribunal, submitting a supplemented appeal on behalf of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and others. The appeal contests the decision to grant a water-use licence to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine.

This report, prepared by GCS Water and Environment (Pty) Ltd for the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), reviews the Integrated Water Use License Application (IWULA) and the subsequent Integrated Water Use License (IWUL) issued to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine in Mpumalanga. The review identifies significant gaps in the specialist studies regarding hydrogeology, wetlands, and hydrology, concluding that the IWUL was granted without a sufficient understanding of the environmental impacts or the interconnection between water resources.