Oil Lobby Urges South Africa to Finalize New Hydrocarbon Law
- Activists are stepping up pressure to curtail fossil fuel use
- Country relies on imports to meet its fuel requirements
Cyril Ramaphosa
Photographer: Gulshan Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A South African oil and gas industry lobby is pushing for the finalization of new legislation that will provide greater certainty for explorers and producers, as activists step up pressure to curtail the use of fossil fuels.
The Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, which provides for hydrocarbons to be regulated separately from mining, has been in the works for years and was finally approved by the National Assembly on Thursday. It will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence, before being signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.