Environmental Law Association of South Africa

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The Environmental Law Association of South Africa (ELA) is committed to advancing knowledge and networks concerning environmental law and governance in SA to protect, promote and fulfil the country’s Constitution. The ELA is a non-profit organisation, which endeavors to:

Promote for the benefit of the public, generally, the enhancement and conservation of the environment in South Africa and in pa

rticular to promote among ELA members and the public matters relating to the development, teaching, application and practice of environmental law in our country;

Encourage collaboration between all those interested and concerned with environmental law in South Africa;

Collate and disseminate information relating to developments in the field of environmental law;

Identify, review, advise and comment on issues of environmental law and its application;

Create opportunities for ELA members to network at national and regional levels; and

Raise and distribute funds for the purpose of carrying out the said objectives.

Arsenal fans and haters might be celebrating and mourning last night’s English premier league trophy lift, but we’re exc...
25/05/2026

Arsenal fans and haters might be celebrating and mourning last night’s English premier league trophy lift, but we’re excited to launch our 2026 Conferences.

Join us from 6 to 10 October in collaboration with SARChI CLES, North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

🗓️ Submit your abstracts by 27 July 2026

This year our Conferences recognise that while some droughts make headlines, others shape lives.

Arsenal waited 22 years for another league title. But communities should not have to wait decades for clean, reliable water and other environmental benefits to meet their basic needs.

The triple planetary crisis, exemplified by droughts and flooding in South Africa, is not only an environmental issue. It is also a governance issue, a justice issue, and a human rights issue.

The 2026 ELA Annual and Student Conferences will thus explore “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”, connecting global pressures with local realities.

📍 North-West University, Potchefstroom
⏳ 6–10 October 2026

Join the conversation! 🔗 in bio.


TriplePlanetaryCrisis SouthAfrica NWU

As we launch our 2025-2026 student essay competition, we celebrate our 2025 winners, ending with Naicker #, who complet...
25/05/2026

As we launch our 2025-2026 student essay competition, we celebrate our 2025 winners, ending with Naicker #, who completed her LLM in Environmental Law at as the top student in her year.

Terysha shared the PG essay competition prize for her cutting-edge postgraduate essay titled “Exploring the potential of the law of delict in South Africa to address climate harms caused by private actors”. It engaged with , , and climatejustice.

Congratulations!

Terysha believes that without an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, other fundamental human rights cannot be achieved.

She adds “This recognition (as well as a love and respect for the world, people and animals around me) drew me into environmental law, which is an area of law I love so much. The essay competition means so much to me because I, along with other people, were able to share and put forward novel ideas which are reviewed by experienced academics and lawyers in the field. It’s a wonderful way to connect and progress ideas, which could eventually become law and change the way we interact with our Earth for the better and strive to achieve interrelated social, environmental and climate justice.”

Thank you to and .grace.irving, Exco members responsible or running the competition, and to our expert judges, who read and evaluated the submissions.

Thanks also to Christian Herselman for his support as sub-committee member in shining a light on excellent emerging environmental law scholars.

As we launch our 2025-2026 student essay competition, we celebrate last year’s winners, including Shane Duthie, who was ...
22/05/2026

As we launch our 2025-2026 student essay competition, we celebrate last year’s winners, including Shane Duthie, who was studying at University of the Witwatersrand. Shane shared the PG prize for his novel postgraduate essay titled “Pollinator Justice: A Constitutional Duty in the Global South”. It touched on sustainable development, environmental justice and biodiversity protection in the context of the important role of bees in our ecosystems 🐝.

Shane also won the best presenter prize for his presentation on “Pollinator Poverty: A
Threatened and Unprotected Species”. 🌻

Double congratulations!

Shane’s interest in environmental law began with an awareness that the most vital systems supporting life are the ones most easily ignored.

He shared: “The first time I worked closely with honeybees, I realised that environmental law is not simply about protecting nature in abstraction, but about securing the continuity of life, health, and dignity itself. Law provides the structure through which we can transform moral concern into enforceable duty.
Winning this prize from the Environmental Lawyers Association affirms that the struggle for environmental justice must include the smallest and most voiceless members of our ecosystems. Pollinators are not merely biological agents, they are constitutional subjects whose protection speaks directly to our right to a healthy environment.”

We are truly inspired by Shane’s commitment to pollinator justice. ⚖️🐝

Thank you to and .grace.irving , Exco members responsible or running the competition, and to our expert judges, who read and evaluated the submissions.

Thanks to Christian Herselman for his support as sub-committee member in shining a light on excellent emerging environmental law scholarship.

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, inc...
18/05/2026

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including , who won the prize for best speaker at LLB level for his excellent presentation titled “Towards Protecting Endangered Plants: A Systematic Literature Review on Plant Poaching and Environmental Laws in South Africa”.

Congratulations!

Bashio, a student at University of South Africa/Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, advises that he was brought up in a rural village but cannot recall anyone mentioning the need to protect or respect the environment and felt it was taken for granted as the village was surrounded by crop lands against picturesque mountains and other greenery.

At school, through exposure to the subject Natural Sciences, Bashio says that he started to appreciate the crucial role of plants as sustenance, medicine, and their broader role in the fight against climate change.

He commented: “As an aspiring lawyer who believes in advocating for people’s rights, 1 began to develop a gradually growing interest in knowing how do we then use the law to protect these natural givers of life against those who do not care.”

He believes that to preserve the natural environment, is to preserve human life.

We’re looking forward to more insightful presentations from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, inc...
18/05/2026

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Nesia Moyo, who was joint winner of the prize for best speaker at PhD level for her presentation titled “Legal barriers and Pathways for Gender-Sensitive, Disaster-Resilient Cities in South Africa”.

Congratulations!

Nesia’s passion for environmental law stems from a desire to understand how legal systems can advance justice, equity, and resilience in the face of growing environmental and climatic challenges.

Nesia commented that: “Having observed how disasters and environmental degradation often impact women and marginalised communities most severely, I was inspired to explore how the law can play a transformative role in addressing these inequalities.” She believes that environmental law offers a unique space to connect human rights, gender equality, and ecological sustainability and is particularly drawn to how it bridges scientific, social, and legal knowledge in pursuit of a more just and balanced relationship between people and their environments.

We’re looking forward to more insightful presentations from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, inc...
18/05/2026

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Nadine Nyamangirazi, who was joint winner of the prize for best speaker at PhD level for her presentation titled “Analysing the Relationship between Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in Africa and the Protection of the Environment: Can the Trade-Off be Eliminated?”.

Congratulations!

Nadine’s passion for environmental law arises from its intersection with multiple areas of law, including international trade, human rights, and corporate governance. She states that “exploring these intersections allows me to understand how we can balance economic growth and development with environmental protection, ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of the planet. Receiving this prize is a tremendous honour, affirming my commitment to pursuing holistic solutions that address both environmental challenges and broader societal interests. It inspires me to continue working toward a sustainable future, where the law serves as a powerful tool for justice, accountability, and ecological stewardship.”

We’re looking forward to more insightful presentations from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, inc...
14/05/2026

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Ledile Sekwakwa, who won the best blog submission prize at PhD level for her piece titled “No City Can Afford to Waste: Managing Food Waste to Protect our Urban Future”.

Congratulations!

Ledile’s interest in environmental law stems from a deep conviction that the law must serve as a tool for justice not only between people, but also between people and the planet.

Ledile shared: “Growing up in rural South Africa and living briefly in a township, I witnessed firsthand how environmental degradation and inequality often coexist, with communities living closest to pollution bearing the most significant burdens. This has driven my academic pursuit of environmental justice, particularly through municipal governance.”

To Ledile, winning the Best PhD Blog Award at the 2025 ELA Student Conference signifies recognition that environmental law scholarships must remain grounded in the realities of life, where law, policy, and justice intersect.

We’re looking forward to more insightful blog submissions from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”. Join us!

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, inc...
14/05/2026

As we gear up for our 2026 conferences from 6 to 10 October, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Gosego Mooko, who won the best blog submission prize at undergraduate level for his piece titled “Critical Minerals, Climate Action, and Justice: Can South Africa Get the Balance Right?”.

Congratulations!

Gosego believes environmental law represents both justice and transformation. He shares: “My research is driven by a desire to understand how law can mediate the complex relationship between economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity in South Africa’s evolving energy and mining landscape.”

For Gosego, Environmental law provides the analytical and normative framework to interrogate this balance and to define what constitutes “justifiable” development in terms of section 24 of the Constitution. “It compels us to ask whether our pursuit of climate action and development respects ecological limits, protects vulnerable communities, and safeguards the rights of future generations.”

We’re looking forward to more insightful blog submissions from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

As we launch our 2026 student conference, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Benni Mudau,...
13/05/2026

As we launch our 2026 student conference, we celebrate our 2025 student conference prize winners, including Benni Mudau, who’s won the runner up blog submission prize for his piece titled “Beyond the Present: Balancing Environmental Rights for Future Generations with Socio-Economic Development Today”.

Congratulations!

Benni’s interest in environmental law arises from its ability to protect the environment, which serves as the foundation for the realisation of human rights and the very existence of humankind.

Benni shared: “Rights such a s life, housing, education, health, and access to clean water are not only interconnected with environmental conditions, but they are contingent on them. Without a safe, sustainable, and just environment, the possibility of enjoying these rights is very limited. am particularly interested in how environmental law can be used a s a strategic tool to protect the environment
for both current and future generations. Environmental justice is not a luxury or an afterthought; it is a constitutional imperative that must be realised
through litigation, advocacy, and education.

We’re looking forward to more insightful blog submissions from students in 2026 as we gear up for our conferences from 6-10 October on the theme “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”.

As we launch our 2026 essay competition, we celebrate our 2025 winners, starting with Logan Ross, whose winning essay wa...
13/05/2026

As we launch our 2026 essay competition, we celebrate our 2025 winners, starting with Logan Ross, whose winning essay was titled “Green Accountability”.

Congratulations!

Logan’s passion for environmental law stems from a deep commitment to justice and sustainability.

Logan shared: “I believe that protecting our environment is foundational to securing human rights and ensuring a healthy future for all. This prize is not only a recognition of my efforts but also a powerful encouragement to continue advocating for stronger legal frameworks and accountability in environmental protection. It inspires me to keep pushing so I can be at the forefront of innovative solutions that bridge law, policy, and community action to address urgent climate challenges and promote sustainable development.”

Thank you to and .grace.irving for running the competition, and to our expert judges, who read the submissions.

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