Postdoc Profile: A just energy transition?
What is happening in the Faculty of Law in relation to a just energy transition? We introduce you here to Dr Wafiq Davids, postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Law’s Mineral Law in Africa research unit.
Where are you doing your post doc?
I am busy with my Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the NRF SARChI Research Chair: Mineral Law in Africa (MLiA), based in the UCT Faculty of Law, under the supervision of Professor Hanri Mostert.
What is the focus of your work?
My research examines a number of interconnected issues – I am looking at energy law, oil and gas regulation, and resource governance in South Africa and the Global South. In this work, I focus particularly on the just energy transition, analysing how legal and governance frameworks can support both sustainable development and climate justice.
Where did you do your PhD, and what was your topic?
I have recently completed my PhD in Oil and Gas Law at UCT Law. My thesis, titled The Regulation of South Africa’s Emerging Hydrocarbon Sector: A purposive analysis of the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act 23 of 2024 compared to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002, provided a critical analysis of South Africa’s upstream petroleum regulatory framework.
In this research, I focused on the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the new Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act (UPRDA), with a strong administrative-law lens.
How does your post doc work build on your PhD, if at all?
My postdoctoral research extends the insights of my PhD by situating upstream petroleum regulation within the wider energy and climate governance landscape. I am very pleased to be a Postdoctoral Fellow as this ensures that I can build on my earlier work on petroleum law, to address broader questions of energy security, regulatory coherence, and just transition policy frameworks.
What are you hoping to achieve with your post doc?
I am planning to use this opportunity to produce scholarly publications that contribute to debates on energy transition, climate governance, and petroleum law in South Africa and the Global South. I hope to contribute knowledge to the field in a way that bridges theory and practice, showing how law can guide resource governance that is both context-sensitive and socially just. I am also looking forward to expanding my networks and collaborations not only within academia, but also in the policy environment, and in industry, while preparing for a long-term academic career.