"Court pours water on coal-fired power station plan", 13 March 2017

The High Court in Pretoria has recognised the significant effects climate change has on SA by setting aside a decision by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa to authorise a new coal-fired station. SA’s first yet climate change litigation, brought by Earthlife Africa, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, contested the decision to grant environmental authorisation for the Thabametsi coal-fired Limpopo power station despite the lack of a climate-change impact assessment. Molewa dismissed Earthlife’s appeal against the authorisation, but called for a full climate-impact report while upholding the authorisation for the project...The judgment stated that climate-change impacts of coal-fired power stations are relevant factors to be considered prior to granting environmental authorisation. "We are very pleased with this decision, not only for Earthlife, but for all South Africans, given that SA is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," says Centre for Environmental Rights attorney Nicole Löser...The court referred the decision back to Molewa and ordered that she reconsider Earthlife Africa’s appeal, taking into account a full climate change-impact assessment and all public comments.

[Background information on this case is here and here.

See also media release by Earthlife Africa: Victory in SA’s first climate change case, 8 March 2017.]