Environmental Justice

Protecting the environment is critical for everyone, but particularly for communities living in poverty. These communities are the ones who are directly impacted by the burdens of development and the environmental degradation that comes with it, but are the last to see its benefits. The Environmental Justice Programme aims to counter this injustice and make environmental rights a reality for all who live in South Africa. We aim to change the behaviour of both the corporate actors that make use of natural resources, and the state which regulates this process. Our focus remains on the mining sector, which is a major contributor to economic growth in the country, but is also responsible for a great deal of environmental harm and exploitation. We work specifically on the social and labour plan system and other models for community benefit sharing, placing the issues of voice, participation and transparency at the centre of our work.