groundWork is a non-profit environmental justice service and developmental organization working primarily in Southern Africa in the areas of Climate & Energy Justice, Coal, Environmental Health, Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, and Waste.

Our Mission

groundWork seeks to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people in South Africa, and increasingly in Southern Africa, through assisting civil society to have a greater impact on environmental governance.

groundWork places particular emphasis on assisting vulnerable and previously disadvantaged people who are most affected by environmental injustices.

Our Values

All groundWork campaigns are driven by putting our values to work. These values are founded on the principles of environmental justice and solidarity with communities that suffer environmental injustice.

We therefore work:

• with community groups to empower them in relation to other major stakeholders. We see process and participatory action as the means to delivery on environmental rights.
• to connect community groups with broader national and international campaigns and processes. We seek both to facilitate the voicing of community concerns at these levels and to ensure that they have access to the resources developed from the wider experience of struggle.
• to promote the expression of the environmental concerns of communities within the public debate carried by the media.
• to find equitable solutions to real and pressing problems.
• to ensure that democratic process and gender equity is integral to all campaigns and all voices are heard.

groundWork is guided by the Section 24 of the SA Constitution which provides that everyone has the right:

(a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and

(b) to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that-

(i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation;

(ii) promote conservation; and

(iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources

while promoting justifiable economic and social development.