The Green Connection welcomes TotalEnergies EP South Africa’s (TotalEnergies) withdrawal of its environmental authorisation (EA) application for Block 11B/12B but warns that the fight to protect South Africa’s oceans is far from over. While this may seem like a victory, the eco-justice organisation says the risks remain as Total Energies’ former partner Main Street 1549 (Pty) Limited has taken over as operator of the Block, while TotalEnergies continues pushing for offshore drilling off the West Coast.
The Green Connection’s Strategic Lead, Liziwe McDaid says that since Total Energies has handed over operatorship of Block 11B/12B to Main Street, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for oil and gas production activities must restart from scratch– and which The Green Connection is geared up to oppose. She says, “Because, if TotalEnergies, with all its financial and technical resources, concluded that the two gas discoveries (Brulpadda and Luiperd) could not be turned into a commercial development as it appeared too challenging to economically develop and monetize these gas discoveries for the South African market, then it is likely that Main Street could face the same problems. There are also serious risks associated with drilling in one of the world’s fastest and most treacherous ocean currents, the Agulhas Current.”
McDaid says that The Green Connection is also concerned about the climate change implications of South Africa’s ongoing and accelerated offshore fossil fuels exploration projects. The eco-justice organisation has long opposed government decisions allowing offshore oil and gas exploration, warning of the risks to marine life, small-scale fishers, and coastal communities.
The Green Connection and Natural Justice will continue to challenge Total Energies offshore ambitions in court, including legal action currently underway over an environmental authorisation granted to TotalEnergies for offshore oil and gas exploration in Block 567. “This challenge is not over,” says McDaid. “We believe in the importance of good governance. More public pressure is needed to ensure that government acts to protect our oceans and coastal communities that depend on the oceans for their livelihoods. South Africans must remain vigilant.
BENDING OVER BACKWARDS, DMRE GIVES KARPOWERSHIPS ANOTHER BREAK
30 September 2021 was supposed to be the commercial close – a date set by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) – for bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMI4P).
TOSACO EIA MET WITH PUSHBACK FROM CIVIL SOCIETY, TO PROTECT THE OCEAN AND SMALL-SCALE FISHER LIVELIHOODS
This week, The Green Connection submitted its comments critiquing several aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, particularly the lack of procedural fairness, as well as the conclusions reached – notwithstanding information gaps and scientific uncertainty – that should form part Tosaco Energy’s request to undertake various activities in Block 1, off the West Coast.
RECENTLY GRADUATED GREEN CONNECTORS, EQUIPPED FOR THE POLLS AND READY TO WEIGH-IN ON COP26
Following their recent graduation from The Green Connection’s Legacy Champions Programme, these newly empowered Green Connectors say they feel equipped with the necessary advocacy skills to make positive changes in their communities, starting with their vote in the local elections (1 November) and weighing in on the discussions around COP26 (which starts on 31 October) – as part of their efforts to oppose oil and gas developments in the country and offshore.
GREEN CONNECTION’S ‘FUNERAL FOR THE CLIMATE’ (AFRICAN ENERGY WEEK) AND COMMENT ON YESTERDAY’S BUDGET SPEECH
This week (10 November 2021), we joined other environmental defenders in Cape Town to peacefully demonstrate outside the African Energy Week #AEW2021 conference venue demanding an end to fossil fuels and the immediate pivot toward the just transition to a renewable energy future.
CLOSE TO 200 PEOPLE RISE AT CRACK OF DAWN TO PROTEST THE ARRIVAL OF SHELL’S SEISMIC MONSTER, AMAZON WARRIOR
On Sunday morning, (21 November 2021), before the crack of dawn, nearly 200 concerned environmental defenders took to the Waterfront to get a glimpse of Shell’s seismic testing vessel, Amazon Warrior, as it made its way into Cape Town harbour. The vessel travelled down the West coast of Africa, on its way to the Wild Coast, to conduct seismic surveys for an estimated five (5) months.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS DOUBLE-UP ON EFFORTS TO OPPOSE UPCOMING AND FURTHER SEISMIC TESTING IN SOUTH AFRICA’S OCEANS
As the groundswell of opposition against Shell’s upcoming 3D seismic survey off the Transkei builds, the Green Connection – an ecojustice NGO that supports small-scale fishers in advocating for their livelihoods – reacted with astonishment to a press statement issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on 9 December 2021.