What a year it has been! 2025 has been a year of big strides, bold voices, and collective action marked by solidarity, learning, and meaningful victories across our spaces of work. We take this moment to celebrate the people who showed up, the progress we made together, and the impact we continue to make. Here… continued
Environmental justice organisations have taken to the North Gauteng High Court to challenge the exemptions granted to Eskom allowing it to bypass compliance with air pollution laws;, the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) at eight power stations. The applicants argue that section 59 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act does not allow the Minister… continued
22 October 2025 | Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill | Johannesburg Johannesburg, South Africa. Human rights defenders from across the country face mounting threats, harassment, and violence for protecting their communities, the environment, and the rule of law. Over the past four years, the Life after Coal (LAC) campaign, a coalition of Earthlife Africa, groundWork and Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), has… continued
22 October 2025 | Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill | Johannesburg Johannesburg, South Africa. The Life After Coal campaign, a coalition of Earthlife Africa, groundWork, and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) will convene a strategic People’s Hearing for Human Rights Defenders on 22 October 2025 at the Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, as part… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights’ (CER) Activist Support and Training Programme welcomes the 15 activists selected to participate in the 2025 edition of the Rights and Remedies Course (R&R). The course started today and will run for the next three weeks. Participants have been chosen from communities all over South Africa and will be engaging over the… continued
Next week, civil society organisations host the third annual Activist Symposium under the theme “Navigating activism in an anti-human rights era”. From 16 – 17 September, this event brings together representatives from across Africa to deliberate on challenges affecting human rights defenders on the continent. From meritless lawsuits, unlawful arrest and detention through to harassment,… continued
Joint Media Statement: groundWork, SDCEA and CER Challenge Environmental Authorisation for Karpowership Project (Durban, 10 September 2025) groundWork and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), have filed a review application in the North Gauteng High Court to challenge the environmental authorisation granted to Karpowership (Pty) Ltd…. continued
Sensible Ambition: Context, how-to-engage and mitigation This briefing note focusses on highligh2ng key contextual and advocacy considera2ons relating to mitigation in South Africa’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It is intended to support and complement NDC related engagement, advocacy and communication from a climate justice perspective. Reference documents: Draf Second Nationally Determined Contribution for… continued
This Women’s Month, Life After Coal and its partners, Earthlife Africa, Center for Environmental Rights and groundWork joins the nation in commemorating the 69th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March on the Union Buildings and the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first official National Women’s Day. On that decisive day in 1956, more than 20,000… continued
As South Africa commemorates Youth Day and Youth Month under the theme “Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation,” the Life After Coal campaign proudly highlights the challenges facing young people who are poised to inherit a planet deeply affected by climate change. The impacts of climate change, driven by… continued
Life After Coal (LAC), in partnership with the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), hosted the Vaal Air Quality and Health Day at the Zamdela Community Hall under the theme ‘Collaborating to Improve Air Quality and Health Outcomes in the Vaal.’ The event was aimed at raising awareness and building community advocacy around the severe health… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has announced that nominations and applications are now open for the highly anticipated 2025 Rights and Remedies Course for environmental justice activists (R&R). For the first time, this transformative course will take place in Muldersdrift, Gauteng and will run from 22 September to 11 October 2025. Under the theme… continued
World Environment Day 2025 is especially important as communities worldwide face urgent environmental challenges that demand immediate action. For communities to action their right to a healthy environment it requires access to information to empower every citizen with the opportunity to hold both private and public bodies to account in instances where rights are violated…. continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights has launched a new expert report and website detailing the social impacts of opencast mine blasting on communities. In 2024, the CER commissioned Dr Gwendolyn Wellmann, an independent sociologist with 30 years’ experience in community development, to conduct a social impact assessment on the impacts of mine blasting. Dr Wellmann… continued
ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) held its annual general meeting (AGM) on 23 May 2025. The AGM was held electronically. AMSA elected not to have the option of attending the AGM in-person at its headquarters in Vanderbijlpark. The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) attended the AGM as observers in continued support of the Vaal Environmental Justice… continued
Johannesburg – The Annual General Meeting of ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is set to take place on May 23rd, 2025. The Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) will hold an exhibition as a silent demonstration of their need for accountability and transparency from AMSA for environmental impacts and long-term sustainability plans. VEJA is an alliance of… continued
What is shareholder activism? Shareholder activism is when everyday people — like you — use their power as part-owners of a company to speak up, ask questions, and push for change. When you buy a share, even just one, you become a shareholder. That gives you certain rights — including the right to attend the… continued
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 13 May 2025 Report Launch: Coal’s Health Impacts in Phola – A Community Health Screening Programme on Air Pollution in Mpumalanga’s Highveld Phola, Mpumalanga. Tuesday, 13 May 2025. The Life After Coal Campaign will launch a critical new report titled Coal’s Health Impacts in Phola: A Community Health Screening Programme Related to Air Pollution from… continued
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Johannesburg – The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is wrapping up the Rights & Remedies monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process of its Rights & Remedies course in the coming week. The Rights and Remedies course has produced over 100 environmental activist graduates since its inception in 2017. Alumni network activists who have completed… continued
PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 15 APRIL 2025 An appeal in the legal battle waged by social and environmental justice groups groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement (VEM) for protection from toxic air pollution – also dubbed the Deadly Air case – was heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein on 28 August 2024…. continued