ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

Environmental law sets an objective standard. It applies to organisations and individuals in the public and private sector as well as the proponents and opponents of new developments, actions and plans.

Environmental law has moved from the conventional legal approach that protects interests by the prohibition of unacceptable actions and adverse impacts to a management perspective that strives to optimise benefits. Duard Barnard & Associates apply the principles of environmental legislation to a multi-disciplinary range of environmental management issues to ensure better performance and profits in technical, industrial, business, research and developmental fields.

An understanding of contemporary environmental law increases the ability of a wide range of stakeholders to protect the environment more effectively and to execute their functions more efficiently. It enables authorities to exert efficient control over environmental matters, banks to protect themselves against the degradation of environmentally sensitive securities and business and industry to increase their profit margins and avoid contingent liabilities. Farmers can get higher yields, environmental protection groups can resist unacceptable developments and citizens are enabled to support acceptable projects more efficiently.

“Our constitution, by including environmental rights as fundamental, justiciable human rights, by necessary implication requires that environmental considerations be accorded appropriate recognition and respect in the administrative processes in our country. Together with the change in the ideological climate must also come a change in our legal and administrative approach to environmental concerns.” - Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa Judgment: Director: Mineral Development, Gauteng Region, and Another v Save the Vaal Environment and Others (2) SA709 (SCA)