What Centre for Environmental Rights does

Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is a South African non-profit law clinic registered as Centre for Environmental Rights NPC and headquartered in Cape Town (1st Floor, Birkdale 2, River Park, Mowbray). Founded circa 2009–2010, the organisation employs 11–50 staff and operates as a public-interest legal practice that provides free legal representation, advocacy, and capacity-building services to mining-affected communities and civil society organisations in South Africa. Its work spans six provinces (Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo) and is structured around five programmes: Activist Support & Training, Corporate Accountability, Mining, and Pollution & Climate Change, plus a Transparency Programme that drives access-to-information work through Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) requests.

CER's core service offering is legal advocacy rather than technology. Its 'products' are programmes and campaigns: the Rights & Remedies three-week residential training course for environmental justice activists; the Full Disclosure research series (published 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2024) that benchmarks environmental compliance and climate disclosure of JSE-listed companies; recurring campaigns such as Life After Coal / Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle, Safeguard our Seabed, Securing Strategic Water Source Areas Using the Law, and the Mabola Protected Environment litigation; and supporting tools including a Virtual Library, a Strategic Water Source Areas interactive map, an Opencast Mine Blasting research portal, and a citizen-facing environmental violation reporting platform. The underlying 'technology' is legal expertise, coalition-building, and litigation strategy rather than software.

CER's revenue model is non-commercial: the organisation provides services free of charge to beneficiaries and is funded through foundation grants (notably the WWF Nedbank Green Trust) and donations from individuals and organisations supporting environmental justice. There is no pricing model and no disclosed revenue. Distribution is direct — coalition-based advocacy, training cohorts, litigation representation, and public reports — rather than channel-based. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots relationships, coalition networks (e.g., MEJCON-SA, Safeguard our Seabed Coalition), and earned media to reach affected communities, institutional investors, and the broader public.

Name

Centre for Environmental Rights

Legal name

Centre for Environmental Rights NPC

Website

https://cer.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Centre for Environmental Rights is a South African non-profit environmental law clinic that provides free legal representation, advocacy, and activist training to mining-affected communities and civil society organisations across six provinces, funded primarily by foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Energy Law (BPAHAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Environmental legal services
• Environmental litigation
• Activist training
• Corporate accountability
• Environmental advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: CER operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants from foundations (WWF Nedbank Green Trust) and donations from individuals and organizations supporting environmental justice.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Centre for Environmental Rights is a non-profit environmental law clinic providing free legal representation, advocacy, and activist support to communities and civil society organizations in South Africa. It delivers services through litigation, policy submissions, training programmes, and research reports focused on mining impacts, water source protection, climate justice, and corporate environmental compliance.

Product overview

Centre for Environmental Rights is a non-profit environmental law clinic and activist organization, not a technology company. The organization offers a portfolio of legal services, advocacy programmes, training courses, research reports, and campaign websites focused on advancing environmental rights in South Africa. The core offerings include legal representation and advisory services, activist training through the Rights & Remedies programme, research and transparency initiatives through the Full Disclosure series, and multiple campaigns addressing mining impacts, water protection, climate change, and marine conservation. The organization operates various dedicated websites and tools including interactive maps, legal resource databases, and reporting platforms to support environmental justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Full Disclosure: A series of reports assessing public disclosures of listed South African companies regarding their environmental and climate impacts, compliance records, and liabilities.
• Life After Coal / Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle
• Full Disclosure
• Securing Strategic Water Source Areas
• Safeguard our Seabed
• Rights & Remedies

Products and services

• Activist Support & Training Programme Training, networking, and support programme designed to strengthen community activists on the frontlines of environmental justice, including enforcing compliance with laws and securing environmental activist spaces.
• Corporate Accountability Programme Programme focused on exposing corporate failures to comply with environmental laws and raising investor awareness of environmental risks through research and advocacy.
• Mining Programme Legal advocacy programme addressing environmental justice in mining, including advocating for better environmental laws and improved implementation, and providing litigation support for mining-affected communities.
• Pollution & Climate Change Programme Programme promoting environmental justice, ensuring compliance with pollution and climate regulations, and strengthening civil society participation in climate-related matters.
• Transparency Programme Programme advocating for greater transparency in governance and swift access to information through Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) requests and related advocacy.
• Rights & Remedies Training Course CER's flagship three-week residential training course designed to strengthen and support community activists on the frontlines of environmental justice, providing legal and advocacy skills.
• Legal Services & Advice Free legal representation, advice, and litigation services provided directly to communities and civil society organizations through a law clinic model, covering environmental rights matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15 activists graduated from Rights & Remedies 2025 course
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WWF South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCER partnered with WWF-SA on the Safeguard our Seabed initiative. WWF-SA supports marine protection campaigns and provided funding through the WWF Nedbank Green Trust for seabed mining opposition efforts.
• Earthlife Africa JohannesburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Mabola Protected Environment litigation challenging Atha-Africa Ventures' coal mine. Earthlife Africa is an environmental justice organization.
• BirdLife South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Mabola Protected Environment litigation. BirdLife South Africa is a conservation organization focused on birds and their habitats.
• Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of communities whose environmental and human rights are affected by mining, represented by CER in litigation and advocacy.
• Endangered Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in environmental litigation including Mabola Protected Environment case and water use licence challenges.
• Bench Marks FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Mabola Protected Environment litigation. Bench Marks Foundation focuses on corporate social responsibility in mining.
• groundWorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in environmental justice advocacy. groundWork is an environmental justice organization working primarily in South Africa.
• Federation for a Sustainable EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in mining-related environmental litigation and advocacy for sustainable mining practices.
• Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Mabola Protected Environment and water source area protection campaigns. AWARD focuses on water and rural development issues.
• Responsible Fisheries AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition focusing on sustainable fisheries and marine protection.
• Food and Allied Workers Union (F.A.W.U.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition representing workers in the food and allied industries.
• Fish SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition representing commercial fisheries interests.
• South African Deep Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition representing the deep sea trawling industry.
• Masifundise Development TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition focusing on small-scale fisheries and marine resource governance.
• AfriOceans Conservation AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition focused on ocean conservation.
• International Ocean Institute – Southern AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition providing expertise on ocean governance.
• Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition providing research on land and agrarian issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earthjustice: Earthjustice is a US non-profit environmental law organization that litigates cases on behalf of conservation groups and communities. Strongly comparable to CER's law-clinic model and focus on precedent-setting environmental litigation.
• ClientEarth: ClientEarth is a public interest environmental law charity using litigation and advocacy to enforce environmental law. CER operates as the closest South African analogue to ClientEarth's law-clinic-plus-activist model.
• groundWork (Friends of the Earth South Africa): groundWork is a South African environmental justice organization focused on air quality, mining, and community rights. CER and groundWork are direct coalition partners and pursue overlapping environmental justice litigation.
• BirdLife South Africa: BirdLife South Africa is a conservation NGO that is a documented CER coalition partner in the Mabola Protected Environment litigation, sharing a focus on protecting threatened habitats in South Africa.
• Federation for a Sustainable Environment: The Federation for a Sustainable Environment is a South African NGO focused on mining-related environmental impacts. It is a documented CER coalition partner in environmental litigation and advocacy.
• Endangered Wildlife Trust: The Endangered Wildlife Trust is a South African conservation organization focused on species and habitat protection. It is a documented CER coalition partner, collaborating on the Mabola case and water use licence challenges.
• Environmental Law Institute: The Environmental Law Institute is a non-profit that conducts research, policy analysis, and publishes resources on environmental law. It parallels CER's research and policy work (Full Disclosure reports, Legal Toolbox, virtual library) at a global scale.
• Earthlife Africa Johannesburg: Earthlife Africa Johannesburg is an environmental justice organization that has been a coalition partner with CER in the Mabola Protected Environment litigation and other mining-related cases.

Broad incumbents

• WWF South Africa: WWF South Africa is a broader, larger conservation organization and a documented core funder/partner of CER via the WWF Nedbank Green Trust. It overlaps thematically but operates a wider portfolio and longer funding capacity.
• Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL): CIEL is a global non-profit that uses international law and policy to address environmental challenges. It is comparable to CER in combining environmental law expertise with advocacy, though operating at a global rather than national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CentreEnvRights
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CentreEnvRights
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentreEnvironmentalRights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-environmental-rights
• Instagraminstagram.com/CentreEnvRights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Environmental Rights