Search Climate Insights Directory

The document provides a summary of the proposed oil and gas exploration activities in Block 3B/4B by Africa Oil South Africa Corp and its partners. It outlines the technical aspects of the drilling project, the potential negative impacts on marine biodiversity, local livelihoods, and the climate, as well as the projected short-term economic benefits. The guide serves as a call for public participation, detailing how stakeholders can review the draft EIS and submit comments by February 8, 2024.

The document outlines a proposed oil and gas exploration project in Block 3B/4B off the west coast of South Africa, led by a joint venture including Africa Oil South Africa Corp (AOSAC). It details the planned drilling of up to five wells, the potential environmental impacts on marine biodiversity and climate, and the socio-economic effects on local communities. The guide serves as a call for public comment on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, providing schedules for public open days and instructions for submitting objections or feedback to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE).

The document presents a series of demands from African environmental defenders, calling for the recognition of their human rights, the creation of a legally binding regional treaty for their protection, and an end to 'false solutions' in climate change. It advocates for a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the cessation of militarized conservation in favor of community-led models, and the implementation of redress mechanisms to hold governments and businesses accountable for human rights violations. The text emphasizes the need for the meaningful inclusion of women, youth, and indigenous peoples in the management of natural resources and climate mitigation efforts.

The document critiques Draft 1 of Mozambique's proposed Land Law, stating it enables land privatisation, restricts access to 'unavailable land', and lacks legal guarantees for community decision-making and protection against forced displacement. It highlights that previous consultations were inadequate, reaching only approximately 75,000 people out of a population of 32 million, and urges citizens to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the reform process.

Natural Justice's 2024-2028 strategy focuses on the legal empowerment of African communities to defend their rights against harmful extractive projects and climate impacts. The organisation employs a 'Litigation Plus' approach, combining strategic legal action with community-led research and policy influencing. Key priorities include securing land tenure, protecting traditional knowledge via the Nagoya Protocol, and promoting a just energy transition. The strategy is implemented through three main programmes: Standing with Communities, Defending Rights against Environmental and Social Impacts, and Affirming and Securing Rights to Lands, Resources and Knowledge.

The document outlines the timeline and shortcomings of the 2024 land law revision process in Mozambique. It argues that the initial 'Draft 0' and subsequent 'Draft 1' were not subject to effective public consultation, reaching fewer than 75,000 people in a population of over 32 million. The text specifically criticizes 'Draft 1' for failing to align with international human rights standards regarding Free, Prior and Informed Consent, for creating private land domains, and for failing to protect communities from forced displacements driven by economic interests. It emphasizes the legal right of Mozambican citizens to permanent participation in national life and calls for broader community involvement in the ongoing revision process.

The document outlines how to apply a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), emphasizing the distinction between duty bearers and rights holders. It provides detailed guidance on identifying vulnerable groups—including Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and environmental human rights defenders—and integrating principles of equity, participation, and access to justice into biodiversity planning, financing, and monitoring. The guide specifically maps the 23 GBF Targets to human rights actions, advocating for the recognition of traditional territories, the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and the adoption of gender-responsive policies to ensure that biodiversity conservation does not lead to human rights violations.

The report examines the energy landscapes of seven southern African states, highlighting a stark divide between vast renewable energy potential and a continued reliance on fossil fuels or traditional biomass. While most surveyed countries have established renewable energy targets and some have liberalized their energy markets, the transition is often hindered by governance challenges, high rural-urban electricity gaps, and the pursuit of new oil and gas reserves. The document advocates for an 'energy justice' framework to ensure that the shift to low-carbon energy is inclusive, transparent, and protects the rights of marginalized communities and future generations.

Natural Justice's 2024-2028 strategy focuses on empowering African indigenous peoples and local communities to defend their land, resource, and human rights against environmental threats and extractive projects. The organization employs a 'litigation plus' approach, combining strategic legal action with community legal education and advocacy. Key priorities include fighting fossil fuel expansion, securing land tenure, and protecting traditional knowledge, with a specific emphasis on feminist leadership and the decolonization of environmental justice.

The report analyzes renewable energy policies in Germany, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, the United States, and South Africa to determine how legislation can enable energy democracy and community benefits. It finds that while mechanisms like feed-in tariffs (ReFITs) and local procurement rules can drive capacity and job growth, their success is heavily dependent on the existing energy market structure, regulatory simplicity, and the protection of indigenous land rights.

The OvaHerero va Kaoko of Namibia and Angola have developed this community protocol to safeguard their ancestral territories, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage. The document details their kinship systems, historical migrations, and the spiritual significance of their land and the Kunene/Cunene River. It outlines the community's traditional governance, the role of women, and their sustainable practices for managing livestock, water, and plants. The protocol asserts the community's biocultural rights under national and international law, calling for the recognition of their ancestral land rights and the protection of their traditional knowledge from misappropriation.

The document outlines the identity, history, and biocultural rights of the OvaHerero of Kaokoland, spanning Namibia and Angola. It details their semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyle, the spiritual significance of their ancestral lands and the Kunene River, and their traditional governance systems based on the principle of Ubuntu. The protocol identifies threats such as land encroachment, cultural erosion due to modernisation, and climate change, while proposing solutions including the recognition of customary land rights and the implementation of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments on their territory.

This briefing, submitted by Natural Justice and the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa (E.L.C.A), provides commentary on a zero draft study by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) regarding the impact of climate change on human and people's rights in Africa. The document evaluates the study's identification of vulnerable groups and rights, critiques its approach to corporate accountability and extractive industries, and offers recommendations to strengthen the protection of indigenous peoples, children, and the environment through legal and monitoring frameworks.

This community pamphlet from June 2023 describes the oil and gas exploration plans of TotalEnergies EP South Africa B.V. (TEEPSA) and its partners in the Deep Water Orange Basin off the West Coast of South Africa.

The document argues that Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) are critical to climate mitigation but face escalating violence, criminalization, and exclusion from global climate processes. It calls for the UNFCCC and COP28 parties to guarantee civic space, prioritize land tenure security—particularly for women—and integrate human rights-based protections into the Global Stocktake and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Fokonolona community of Sakatia island in Madagascar is opposing a project by GREEN MADA LAND to build a hotel complex on a 17-hectare plot of land. The community argues that the project, described as a 'presidential project', violates their human rights, threatens biodiversity—specifically turtle nesting areas—and endangers their rice fields and livelihoods. They demand the cancellation of the long-term lease, transparency from authorities, and the recognition of their land ownership and right to free prior informed consent.

The Fokonolona community of Sakatia Island in Madagascar is opposing a project by GREEN MADA LAND to build a hotel complex on 17 hectares of land. The community argues that the project, described as a 'presidential project', threatens their livelihoods, human rights, and local biodiversity, including turtle nesting sites and rice fields. They demand the cancellation of the lease, transparency from authorities, and the recognition of their community land rights.

Natural Justice argues that nuclear energy is an economically unviable and environmentally dangerous alternative to renewable energy in South Africa. The commentary contends that the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill encourages investment in a sector characterized by high costs, long lead times, and significant waste management risks. It specifically criticizes the extensive powers granted to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, citing the Department's poor track record in rehabilitating abandoned mines as evidence that it cannot be trusted to manage nuclear decommissioning and waste. The authors advocate for decentralized renewable energy solutions, such as solar and wind, to address load shedding and rural energy access.

The document outlines TEEPSA's proposal to extract gas and explore for other reserves in Block 11B/12B, located 75 km from Cape St Francis and 120 km from Mossel Bay. It details the planned drilling activities, the use of the F-A platform, and the potential environmental and social impacts, including risks to marine biodiversity, local livelihoods, and the climate. While TEEPSA claims the project will create thousands of jobs and provide a lower-carbon alternative to coal for power generation, the guide highlights concerns regarding fossil fuel investment and the disruption of cultural and spiritual connections to the sea.

The Natural Justice mediated Climate Justice Movement of Nigeria calls for immediate government action to address the escalating climate crisis, citing devastating floods in 2012 and 2022. The movement demands inclusive climate solutions, the creation of state climate change advisory councils, and a transition away from oil-based economic development to protect lives and ecosystems.