In March 2024, The Green Connection and Natural Justice lodged an application for judicial review with the Western Cape High Court, seeking to challenge the decision to grant environmental authorisation to oil and gas company—Total Energies EP South Africa (TEEPSA) Block 567 (Pty) Ltd (Total)— to conduct exploration drilling for oil and gas off the Western Cape, between Cape Town and Cape Agulhas.
The environmental authorisation was granted by the Director-General: Mineral Resources and Energy in April 2023 (DG’s decision), and confirmed by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s dismissal of 18 appeals against the DG’s decision (Minister’s decision).
This factsheet summarises some of the key points of the matter.
