South Africa’s top court blocked Shell’s Wild Coast oil search: why it matters for climate justice

South Africa’s Constitutional Court – the country’s highest court – handed down a landmark judgment for climate change and environmental justice in mid-August 2026. The companies had planned to use seismic surveys in the waters off the country’s Wild Coast. These surveys use powerful sound waves to map underground rock formations. Shell didn’t consult communities properly about mining the Wild Coast – but how much legal protection do South Africans have? The Wild Coast is an…