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Our People

Andrew Gilder and Olivia Rumble

Andrew Gilder
Meet Andrew

Andrew Gilder is a Director of Climate Legal, with 17 years’ legal practice experience specialising in climate change (mitigation and adaptation), climate finance and development, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance. Andrew is admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng and Western Cape) and holds a BA LLB (University of Natal – now KwaZulu-Natal) and LLM (Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town). He has practical experience which expands over a range of African jurisdictions and including advice to public and private sectors on the development and implementation of climate change, climate finance, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance as well as regulatory and transactional advice to industries, foreign embassies and municipalities on the implementation of infrastructure development projects.

Related to his work on climate change, he is deeply involved with consideration of air quality legal issues in South Africa and the evolving domestic legal regime for power generation. His practical experience includes advising government, businesses and industries on climate change policy development and its implications, including climate change business risks and opportunities, assessing commercial relationships against evolving climate change policy and regulation and related contracts, as well as advising on, negotiating and drafting of commercial contracts required to secure financial and logistical positions in the carbon market.

Originally trained as an environmental lawyer, Andrew has considerable expertise in all areas of environmental legal practice and his practical experience extends to advising on authorisations required for the implementation of greenhouse gas mitigation projects and providing process advice for obtaining and managing the set of authorisations required for operational projects, including numerous waste to energy projects. He is responsible for drafting South Africa’s Climate Change Bill. Andrew has been recognised as a leading lawyer by PLC Which Lawyer? 2012 – Environment (South Africa) as well as Best Lawyers (Environmental Law) 2019 and 2020 and is the co-editor and co-author of South Africa’s first comprehensive treatise on climate change law and governance.

Olivia Rumble
Meet Olivia

Olivia Rumble is a Director of Climate Legal with 10 years’ legal practice experience specialising in environmental law, energy law policy and governance, climate change (mitigation and adaptation), climate finance, carbon markets, and carbon tax. Olivia is admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng and Western Cape), and holds a PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics, University of Stellenbosch); an LLB (University of Cape Town); and an LLM in Environmental Law (University of Cape Town - with distinction). She has a strong background in water law as well as climate change law, and has acted for governments and regional institutions by pioneering legal reform initiatives in climate change and water law in South Africa and SADC. She regularly counsels clients on the legal considerations relevant to emerging opportunities in low carbon development and sustainable energy practices and has expertise in South Africa’s complex air quality and greenhouse gas legal regime.

Olivia also has extensive experience in the broad suite of South African environmental laws including laws relating to waste; water; atmospheric emissions; hazardous substances and chemicals regulation; energy, including low-carbon energy frameworks; mining and industrial development; sensitive and protected environments; environmental impact assessments and environmental rehabilitation. She has helped multinationals and private sector clients navigate the laws pertaining to new developments, environmental remediation obligations, as well as the environmental aspects of corporate transactions.

She is responsible for drafting the evolving Climate Change Bill for South Africa, and has also acted for lenders and bidders in the provision of environmental regulatory advice for new build renewable energy facilities as part of the Independent Renewable Energy Power Procurement Programme.  Olivia is also the co-editor and co-author of South Africa's first comprehensive treatise on climate change law and governance. She has been recognised as a leading lawyer by Best Lawyers 2020, and regularly lectures at and conducts research for the University of Cape Town.

Recent Publications

Andrew and Olivia are co-editors and co-authors of South Africa’s first treatise on Climate Change Law and Governance.

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