Wild Coast Communities and Environmentalists welcome the latest Constitutional Court Ruling : Dr Melanie Murcott

On 14 August 2026, the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in Sustaining the Wild Coast NPC and Others v Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and Others; Natural Justice and Another v Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and Others [2026] ZACC 33, and in doing so, pronounced on the significance of South Africa’s international climate change obligations for the first time. In crafting a just and equitable remedy, the Court also made significant pronouncements about the importance of corporations engaging in meaningful consultation with those most impacted by fossil fuel exploration and production activities, prior to the government authorizing these activities.

Dr Melanie Murcott (Director and Head of Public Interest at Lawtons Africa, as well as an Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Cape Town) was asked to share her expert opinion on the judgment during a live interview with Bongiwe Zwane on SABC News (SABC Full View). Check out the interview here https://youtu.be/zpVq4-3UPn8?si=u8Dggv2WmUVFxTT6