Biodiversity and Climate

Biodiversity and Conservation

Expertise

• Board member for two clients ensuring judicious management of private nature reserves.
• Assisting numerous clients with applications for private nature reserves in terms of the NEMPAA.
• Successfully engaging with Eskom to re-route transmission lines to avoid high biodiversity areas on a property declared a private nature reserve.
• Vast experience in dealing with South African biodiversity and permitting regime.
• Acting for clients in advising on rare species breeding programmes, import and export laws.
• Assisting clients with complying with disease free buffalo breeding laws.
• Advising clients regarding stud game breeding- sustainability and compliance.
• Risk assessments for clients in terms of non-permitted TOPS species- particularly elephants.
• Drafting compliance documents for clients required under NEMPAA private nature reserve status- such as declaration agreements and management plans.

CLimate Change and Sustainability

Expertise

• Assisting an agri-producer with developing a carbon offset calculator and offsetting mechanism to ensure a Carbon Neutral business plan. This was the first wine estate to achieve carbon neutrality in South Africa and only the third in the world.
• Advising clients in the South African mining sector regarding options for the journey to Net Zero. Developed together with the mine’s water footprint as the two critical issues for the mines are water security and the pathway to Net Zero.
• Experience advising clients in several aspects of Climate Change including trading in verified carbon credits, exploring mechanisms under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and offsetting carbon emissions.
• Due diligence of clients and client’s suppliers value chains (lifecycle assessments) to ensure climate change impacts are accurate and verified.
• Advising clients regarding policy and legislation around the Just Transition.
• Reviewing and providing critical analysis of Climate Change Impact Assessment Reports (CCIARs).
• Drafting and reviewing Certified Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreements.
• Advising clients on Climate Change overlap areas such as biodiversity impacts and water security.