South Africa is rich in minerals — resources that can drive economic growth, create jobs and strengthen our energy security. But increasingly, the country is also under pressure to rethink how it
extracts and uses those resources in the face of climate change. A landmark Constitutional Court judgment involving proposed oil and gas exploration along the Wild Coast has now raised important
questions about where we draw that line. The court has made it clear that economic development cannot simply happen at the expense of communities, the environment and future generations. But there is another side to this conversation: how much influence should international organisations and environmental groups have over South Africa’s ability to develop its own natural resources? Is environmental protection about climate justice — or could international pressure sometimes undermine a country's mineral and energy sovereignty?