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A response from the Petroleum Agency SA (PASA) to the Centre for Environmental Rights regarding the regulation of upstream gas and petroleum activities, addressing public access to rights, environmental inspectors, and the status of hydraulic fracturing.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a legal argument to the High Court of South Africa stating that, as a registered and accredited law clinic that provides free legal services and does not handle client funds or property, it is legally entitled to litigate without a fidelity fund certificate or a trust account.

The Water Tribunal of South Africa dismissed an appeal by Thungela Operations (Pty) Ltd against the Department of Water and Sanitation's decision to refuse a Water Use Licence (WUL) for the Palmietkuilen Mining Operation. The Tribunal found that the applicant failed to provide sufficient geohydrological and geochemical data to ensure effective long-term mitigation of water pollution, particularly regarding post-closure acid mine drainage (AMD) and the permanent loss of wetlands.

The Gauteng High Court upheld a decision by the MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs to grant environmental authorisation for a light industrial township in Johannesburg on the condition that a stream remain in its natural course, rejecting the developer's preference to divert it.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, has requested critical documentation from Eskom regarding the construction of temporary stacks at the Kusile Power Station following a stack failure in October 2022.

This statement, submitted by the Life after Coal Campaign (LAC) and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa (FFCSA) to the Presidential Climate Commission, provides critical comments on South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP). The authors argue that the plan is overly skewed toward private sector interests and large-scale infrastructure, specifically green hydrogen, while neglecting social ownership models, local manufacturing, and the urgent needs of coal-affected communities.

This briefing note by the Centre for Environmental Rights assesses the potential health and environmental impacts if Eskom is permitted to operate three units at the Kusile power station without sulphur dioxide (SO2) control devices (Flue Gas Desulfurization or FGDs) from December 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted a formal objection to the South African government regarding Eskom's proposal to use temporary bypass stacks at the Kusile coal-fired power station. This proposal would allow units 1-3 to operate without flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) pollution abatement equipment following a flue duct collapse in October 2022. The CER argues that the bypass would cause significant health damage and constitutional violations, suggesting instead that funds be redirected toward solar PV and wind energy to accelerate the coal phase-out.

This submission by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of groundWork and Earthlife Africa, opposes Eskom's applications for the postponement and suspension of Minimum Emission Standards (MES) compliance. The document argues that Eskom's failure to comply with air quality laws violates constitutional rights to health and a safe environment, particularly in the Highveld Priority Area. It provides evidence of extensive emission exceedances, high emission intensity compared to international standards, and severe public health impacts, while asserting that abatement technologies are technically and economically feasible.

Two environmental organizations, groundWork and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), have authorized the Centre for Environmental Rights to appeal an environmental authorisation granted on 22 November 2022. The authorisation allows Phakwe Richards Bay Gas Power 3 (Pty) Ltd to develop and operate a 2000 MW gas-to-power plant in Richards Bay IDZ Zone 1F.

A legal letter from Webber Wentzel to Pinsent Masons Africa LLP on behalf of the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), stating that the CER stands by an article published on 6 December 2022 regarding Karpowership South Africa and will resist any legal actions resulting from it.

A legal letter from Pinsent Masons Africa LLP, acting on behalf of Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd, demanding that the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) address allegedly defamatory and misleading statements published on December 6, 2022, regarding Karpowership projects in South Africa.

A statement by the Life After Coal (LAC) campaign—comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights, Earthlife Africa, and groundWork—urging the South African government to lead at COP27 by supporting climate-vulnerable nations and accelerating a domestic Just Transition away from fossil fuels.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments on the draft National Water Resources Strategy 3 (NWRS-3) on 28 October 2022. The submission argues that the strategy must move beyond treating climate change as a future uncertainty and instead implement binding regulations to protect water security. The CER emphasizes the need for legal protection of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), strengthened compliance monitoring and enforcement (CME), increased transparency in water resource information, and a precautionary approach to unconventional oil and gas exploration due to risks of water contamination and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued a statement to the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) raising concerns regarding transparency, environmental compliance, and climate impact assessments for onshore gas and petroleum activities. The CER highlights a lack of public information on rights holders and questions the legality of specific projects and the use of hydraulic fracturing.

A summary of a High Court of South Africa judgment where the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality successfully obtained an interdict against New Star Technology CC and Zhibing Yuan for operating a waste recycling facility without required environmental authorisations.

A joint submission by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), groundWork Trust, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and Natural Justice objecting to a proposed Ministerial Determination for the procurement of 3,000 MW of gas-to-power capacity in South Africa. The submission argues that the determination is legally flawed, procedurally unfair, and environmentally and economically irrational.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), issued a statement to the National Environmental Consultative and Advisory (NECA) Forum regarding the consultative process established under section 3A of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). The CER outlines legal requirements for compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) and sets minimum conditions for the Forum's operations to ensure transparency and the protection of affected communities' rights.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted recommendations to the South African government to strengthen draft regulations for air quality management plans. Following a High Court ruling that poor air quality in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) violates constitutional rights, the CER advocates for stricter enforcement, including a moratorium on new coal infrastructure, biennial plan reviews, bi-annual public reporting, and the mandatory adoption of 2020 minimum emission standards by 2025.

A statement from the Life after Coal Campaign (LAC) and Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA) addressed to the South African government and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Secretariat. The document demands greater transparency, civil society inclusion, and strict conditions on climate finance to ensure a just transition that prioritizes community needs over corporate or fossil-fuel interests.