Global Environmental Law Centre

What role should universities play in responding to the climate crisis and how should they address their relationships with the fossil fuel industry?

Following the online launch in May of “Carbon Captured? A Preliminary Review of Fossil Fuel Industry Influence and Greenwashing on SA Campuses”, the Global Environmental Law Centre and Fossil Free South Africa invite you to an in-person talk and workshop at the University of the Western Cape.

Date: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Time: 15:30–17:30
Venue: SEM 1A and 1B, Life Sciences Building, University of the Western Cape
RSVP: https://lnkd.in/djVipyBr

The event will unpack the report’s key findings and recommendations and open a cross-university conversation about higher education’s role in the planetary crisis, South Africa’s transition to renewable energy and the protection of academic integrity.

The report examines partnerships between South African universities and the fossil fuel industry and calls for proactive steps to ensure that higher education provides meaningful leadership on climate action and justice. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/d8eYDwQi

UWC Faculty of Law

GELC Director Prof Angela van der Berg has published a new piece in The Conversation Africa examining the significance of the Constitutional Court’s landmark Sustaining the Wild Coast judgment for climate justice in South Africa.

The article considers what this important judgment means for South African climate law, constitutional environmental rights and the growing international movement towards climate accountability.

🌍 Read the full article in The Conversation Africa:

https://theconversation.com/south-africas-top-court-blocked-shells-wild-coast-oil-search-why-it-matters-for-climate-justice-289949?utm_medium=article_clipboard_share&utm_source=theconversation.com



UWC Faculty of Law
The University of the Western Cape

South Africa’s top court blocked Shell’s Wild Coast oil search: why it matters for climate justice South Africa’s first climate case at the Constitutional Court has blocked Shell’s oil and gas exploration off the Wild Coast, protecting coastal communities.

The Global Environmental Law Centre (GELC), UWC Faculty of Law, and The University of the Western Cape were proudly represented at the 3rd Annual National Multidisciplinary Postgraduate Student Conference, hosted by the Stellenbosch University Chair in Urban Law & Sustainability Governance
on 24–25 July 2026.

Held under the theme "Fostering Radical Hope in South Africa within the Context of Global Environmental Crises: The Role of Law and Governance", the conference brought together postgraduate researchers from universities across South Africa to engage in interdisciplinary discussions on pressing legal, environmental and governance challenges.

We are especially proud of our current GELC postgraduate students who presented their research:

🌿 Lesai Seema 'Natural Persons: The Legal Personhood of Nature',
🌿 Celeste Viljoen 'Towards More-than-Human Cities: Nature-Based Solutions and Multispecies Justice as Radical Hope in South African Urban Law', and
🌿 Liza Volkwyn 'Digging Deeper: Mining Rights and Opportunities for Rights of Nature – A South African West Coast Mining Conflicts Case Study'.

A special congratulations to Celeste Viljoen and Lesai Seema, who were recognised as Best Presenters at the conference.

We also proudly acknowledge Abigail Buitumelo Mushendami and Gosego Mooko, both University of the Western Cape postgraduate students and former students in the LLM in Environmental Law programme offered through GELC🌿

GELC's contribution extended beyond the student presentations. Dr Maricélle Botes, Postdoctoral Fellow at GELC, participated as a panellist during the conference's opening discussion on postgraduate research and also served on the judging panel together with Dr Rochine Melandri Steenkamp who delivered a brief presentation introducing the Environmental Law Association of South Africa highlighting opportunities for postgraduate students and early-career researchers to engage with the Association and its initiatives.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Prof Anèl Du Plessis, Dr Christiaan van Schalkwyk (LLD), and the organising committee: Robyn Bayer, Michaela O'Donoghue and Carmen Emma Walters for hosting an outstanding conference and creating a valuable platform for postgraduate scholarship and interdisciplinary engagement.

We look forward to seeing our students continue to advance innovative research and contribute meaningfully to environmental law and governance in South Africa and beyond.

We are proud to see our Director, Professor Angela van der Berg (Joubert), present her latest research at the 34th International Conference of the Global Ecological Integrity Group (GEIG), hosted by the Universidade de Coimbra , Portugal.

Professor van der Berg presented her paper, "Closing the Gap: Ecological Dignity as the Missing Link in South Africa's Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism," contributing to international discussions on the emerging concept of ecological dignity and its implications for law and governance.

The presentation reflects GELC's ongoing commitment to advancing innovative, globally relevant scholarship at the intersection of environmental law, constitutionalism and governance, while contributing African perspectives to international legal debates.

We look forward to seeing this exciting research develop further.



The University of the Western Cape

UWC Faculty of Law

On today, we are reminded that climate action requires more than ambition. It requires legal knowledge, institutional capacity, accountability and governance tools that can respond to the realities of climate change across South Africa, Africa and the world.

Our short course on Climate Law and Governance, developed and taught by Prof Angela van der Berg (Joubert), offers an important opportunity to build this capacity.

As climate impacts intensify, legal practitioners, policymakers, researchers and professionals working in environmental and climate-related fields have a critical role to play in shaping fair, effective and rights-based responses to the climate crisis.

Course details below 👇

We are pleased to present our short course on Climate Law and Governance, developed and taught by Prof Angela van der Berg (Joubert) Director of GELC.

As climate impacts intensify globally and across Africa, there is a growing need for legal and governance expertise that can respond to complex, multi-level challenges. This course is designed to equip participants with both critical knowledge and practical skills to engage in this evolving field.

🔍 What participants will gain:

• A strong foundation in climate change law, policy, and governance at national and international levels
• Critical insights into South Africa’s Climate Change Act and its legal context
• Engagement with climate litigation, human rights, and global climate frameworks
• Practical skills to navigate climate governance challenges and legal reform processes
• Tools to contribute meaningfully to climate action and climate justice

👥 Who should attend?
Legal practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and professionals working in environmental and climate-related fields.

📅 Dates: 10 June – 29 July 2026 (Wednesday evenings)
⏳ Duration: 7 weeks
💰 Fee: R6 000

**APPLY HERE: https://pillar7uwc.ac.za/courses/climate-law-and-governance-cid62

This course offers a valuable opportunity to engage with leading legal perspectives and strengthen capacity for impactful climate governance.



The University of the Western Cape
UWC Faculty of Law

We are pleased to present our short course on Climate Law and Governance, developed and taught by Prof Angela van der Berg (Joubert) Director of GELC.

As climate impacts intensify globally and across Africa, there is a growing need for legal and governance expertise that can respond to complex, multi-level challenges. This course is designed to equip participants with both critical knowledge and practical skills to engage in this evolving field.

🔍 What participants will gain:

• A strong foundation in climate change law, policy, and governance at national and international levels
• Critical insights into South Africa’s Climate Change Act and its legal context
• Engagement with climate litigation, human rights, and global climate frameworks
• Practical skills to navigate climate governance challenges and legal reform processes
• Tools to contribute meaningfully to climate action and climate justice

👥 Who should attend?
Legal practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and professionals working in environmental and climate-related fields.

📅 Dates: 10 June – 29 July 2026 (Wednesday evenings)
⏳ Duration: 7 weeks
💰 Fee: R6 000

**APPLY HERE: https://pillar7uwc.ac.za/courses/climate-law-and-governance-cid62

This course offers a valuable opportunity to engage with leading legal perspectives and strengthen capacity for impactful climate governance.



The University of the Western Cape
UWC Faculty of Law

⚖️CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - JABULA Moot Court Competition⚖️

Are you a postgraduate or final year law student enrolled at a South African university?

You can now apply to participate in the upcoming Animal Law Moot Court examining legal issues related to the commercial captive predator industry.

This event will be of particular interest to you if you are curious about animal law, environmental justice, constitutional litigation, and the role of law in regulating human–animal relationships.

🗓️ Date: 17-18 September 2026
📍 Venue: Law Department, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town
📄 Application form: https://tinyurl.com/ysfwhm7j
✅ Applications close: 31 May 2026

This is an in-person event and participation is free of charge. However, successful applicants will be required to self-fund their travel and accommodation.

Read more 👉 https://bloodlions.org/moot-application

We are incredibly proud to share that Celeste Viljoen, one of our LLM students, secured second place in the prestigious 2026 Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law Essay Competition!

Celeste’s essay, titled "The Lion's Claim: Rethinking Human Interests for Animal Flourishing", takes on a critical question in animal rights discourse: “How far should human interests be limited to enable animals to flourish?” Drawing from Martha Nussbaum's capabilities approach, Celeste explores the moral and legal dimensions of animal justice.
You can read the full essay here: https://lnkd.in/dA9k9cva

At GELC, we are committed to advancing environmental and animal rights law. We are very proud of our students who continue to push the boundaries of thought and action.
UWC Faculty of Law

Join us for an exciting upcoming webinar by Prof Edwin Egede (Professor of International Law and International Relations, Cardiff University, and Adjunct Professor in Public Law, Nelson Mandela University) titled “The BBNJ Agreement and Africa: Implications for Ocean Governance.”

This webinar will explore the significance of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), also known as the High Seas Treaty, following its entry into force on 17 January 2026. This webinar will examine what the treaty’s entry into force means for African countries and consider its broader implications for law, policy, governance, and implementation across the continent.

Date: 30 March 2026
Time: 13:00 SAST
Register here for online attendance: https://uwc.zoom.us/meeting/register/a6pGeSRZTtiaEPDd5rrsYg

UWC Faculty of Law

We are excited to invite you to an upcoming seminar by Prof Werner Scholtz (Head of School and Professor of Global Environmental Law, Southampton Law School, University of Southampton) titled “Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling and Whale Welfare: Culture Clashes.”

The seminar explores the emerging argument that the humane treatment of whales may be recognised as a general principle of international law, raising complex questions about whether Indigenous cultural rights to whaling can coexist with evolving global animal welfare norms.
Date: 24 March 2026
Time: 11:00 SAST
Register here for online attendance: https://uwc.zoom.us/meeting/register/wqEn54L4S66hB7i0hv0zxg #/registration

UWC Faculty of Law