Brandon Abdinor

Brandon has been engaging on climate change issues since 2004. As the executive director of the KZN Master Builders Association, he participated in the establishment of energy efficiency standards in buildings and advocating for green buildings and building practices in the construction industry generally.

He has extensive experience in facilitation, mediation and alternate dispute resolution. Legal experience includes climate and environmental law, contract law, employment law and litigation. He worked with Earthlife Africa, first as a volunteer, then board member and finally legal rights consultant, teaching environmental rights to various community groupings around the country.

He joined the CER as a Climate Advocacy Lawyer in 2021. In this role he engages with climate change related laws and policies with a view to helping ensure that these are effective and advance the needs of climate justice for all. The role includes liaising and working with a wide range of stakeholders to gather and share information and build consensus around legal advocacy in pursuit of an increasingly sound climate change response and just transition. Since March 2023, Brandon has been acting as the lead for the Pollution and Climate Change programme, overseeing the team’s strategic litigation and legal advocacy activities.

Brandon received his LLB from Wits University in 1993 and was admitted to the High Court of South Africa as an attorney in 1996. He holds a certificate in mediation and arbitration from the ADR Network.