Matthew Thornton-Dibb

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Climate change impacts to be assessed as part of the environmental authorisation process

By Tina Costas and Matthew Thornton-Dibb on April 24, 2017 Posted in General

Project developers and financiers should scrutinise existing projects that are in pre-environmental authorisation stage, and all future projects, to determine what issues need to be assessed prior to applying for authorisation. The 8 march 2017 judgment in Earthlife Africa Johannesburg v The Minister of Environmental Affairs and others is South Africa’s first judgment relating to climate … Continue reading

Enhancing sustainable development by using biodiversity offsets

By Matthew Thornton-Dibb and Tina Costas on November 24, 2015 Posted in General

Greenfield developments can make a significant environmental impact. Where the impact relates to biodiversity that has a high ecological value, regulatory authorities are increasingly requiring project developers to implement a biodiversity offset. A biodiversity offset is intended to ensure that no net loss in biological resources occurs as a result of the project being developed. … Continue reading