In South Africa, the French oil & gas major ‘TotalEnergies’ is about to start yet another destructive project despite specific climate experts’ recommendations to steer clear from new fossil fuel investments. On 5 September 2022, TotalEnergies applied for a production license to exploit two major gas fields, with up to one billion barrels of oil equivalent, off the South African’s southern coast.

Following a meeting with Petroleum Agency SA (PASA) on Thursday 29 September 2022, The Green Connection says it anticipates that it will receive the project-specific oil spill contingency plan (OSCP) by Wednesday 5 October 2022. The eco-justice organisation says, “In our view, such a plan should be in the hands of all interested and affected persons, before the drilling starts.”

This week on 26 September 2022, small-scale fishers held a picket demonstration at Pepper Bay Saldanha. The group of about 50 fishers and supporting eco-justice and community-based organisations are opposing the (imminent) arrival of the Azinam oil rig, which is set to start offshore oil and gas exploration activities in the next days.

Following a number of unsubstantiated allegations made about The Green Connection and its workwith small-scale fishers along South Africa’s coast, the eco-justice organisation wants to set the record straight, especially since environmental defenders are under increasing attack, as a result of their efforts to protect people and nature from exploitation.

September 25, 2022 ECO-JUSTICE WATCHDOG RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT INSUFFICIENT INFO ON AZINAM’S OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLANNING As the Azinam/Eco Atlantic oil rig – which left the North Sea on 12 August – makes its way to South Africa to begin its exploration drilling for oil and gas on the West Coast, The Green Connection raises

The wait is finally over for the Wild Coast communities and civil society when, on 1 September 2022, the Makhanda High court ruled that the decision to grant the exploration right is set aside, as well as the decision to grant the renewal of this right. The decision to grant a further, second renewal, has also been set aside for Shell.

“Civil society, traditional communities and small-scale have once again been vindicated by the courts. Well done to our comrades for staying the course of this fight against Shell, to protect our oceans and the rights of those communities who will be affected.” This is the message from The Green Connection, an eco-justice organisation opposed to offshore oil and gas exploitation.

The Green Connection says the Minister of Environmental Affairs Barbara Creecy made the right decision to decline Karpowerships’ appeal application against its failure to get environmental authorisations to operate in Saldanha Bay, Coega and Richards Bay.

Civil society organisations, activists and fishers have vowed to continue their struggle to persuade the government to stop offshore oil and gas exploration projects on the coasts of South Africa. Today, on the 15th of August, civil society organizations together with fisher communities, held a protest outside the harbour at Paarden Eiland.

The Green Connection Legacy programme is an empowerment programme that was launched in 2021, which aims to equip community champions with necessary skills to fight socio-economic injustices that pose major threats to the environment and oceans, while advocating for sustainable energy solutions.