Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change

‘impressive environmental group with a prominent position in the market’ – Chambers and Partners, 2023

  • Overview
  • Significant Matters

Overview

Doing business in Africa, as in most international jurisdictions, requires specialised counsel to effectively manage corporate environmental risks and decision-making.

We are one of Africa’s leading environmental law firms, offering real depth and a broad range of expertise in environmental law.

Our service covers legal risk mitigation and management, permitting, projects and developments, appeals against administrative decisions and judicial reviews, criminal and administrative disputes, impacts and compliance, due-diligence investigations and compliance auditing.

Our specialist environmental lawyers are equipped with a practical understanding of both the law and its application by the regulators and are able to handle environmental matters in all the jurisdictions in which we are located.

We are able to ensure that our clients’ environmental requirements and risks are seamlessly managed in alignment with their broader business requirements and priorities.

We have a strong commercial-environmental understanding in a transactional context, including with respect to the intersection among sectors such as mining, energy and infrastructure developments, environmental issues and community interests, pollution and contaminated land liabilities, as well as appropriate mechanisms for the allocation of related risks in transactions, authorisation requirements for developments and general environmental transactional risks.

We frequently represent clients with respect to environmental authority enforcement actions, compliance notices, directives, appeals and reviews, as well as in criminal prosecutions on environmental matters.

We serve the top end of the South African and broader African market, advising on government processes, commercial lending and mergers and acquisitions (including cross-jurisdictional work in transactional and other matters). Our clients include large listed corporations and the public sector.


African Legal Awards, 2021

Environmental and Renewables Team of the Year

Chambers and Partners, 2023

‘impressive environmental group with a prominent position in the market’

‘frequently advises both local and international corporations on regulatory compliance and risk assessment regarding mining, waste management and contaminated sites’

‘sought after for its expertise in environmental considerations regarding M&A transactions and the construction of manufacturing and energy sites’

‘offers further expertise in niche areas of environmental law such as nature reserves, with experience advising on legislative changes’

Clients say that they are: ‘impressed with the depth and the breadth of subject matters Bowmans is able to advise on’; that “Bowmans has a great deal of expertise and experience in this field’; the team they have worked with ‘are well resourced and fully committed to providing an excellent service’..

Significant Matters