David Fig

David Fig was born in South Africa and became involved in the anti-apartheid movement during the 1970s. He was a member of the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress, and he worked with trade unions and community organizations to oppose the apartheid regime's environmental and labor policies. His activism led to his arrest and detention without trial in 1981 under the Internal Security Act, an experience that shaped his later scholarship on state power and social justice.

After the transition to democracy in 1994, Fig pursued an academic career, earning a PhD in sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand. He became a research associate at the University of Cape Town, where he focused on environmental governance, energy transitions, and the political economy of climate change. From 2010 to 2014, he served as a commissioner on the South African National Planning Commission, contributing to the country's long-term development plan. He has also been a visiting fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and a member of the board of the South African Institute of International Affairs.

Fig is best known for his critical analyses of the nuclear industry and corporate power in South Africa. His 2005 book Uranium Road: Questioning South Africa's Nuclear Direction examined the environmental and social costs of uranium mining and nuclear energy, challenging the government's nuclear expansion plans. He has also written extensively on the role of business in post-apartheid South Africa, including his 2007 edited volume Staking Their Claims: Corporate Social Engagement in South Africa. His work has influenced debates on energy justice and the just transition away from coal.

Beyond his public roles, Fig has been a long-time advocate for environmental health, serving on the board of the South African Medical Research Council's environmental health committee. He has also documented the impact of asbestos mining in South Africa, contributing to legal cases that held multinational corporations accountable for health damages. In 2016, he co-authored a report on the financial risks of coal-fired power stations for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, which was cited in international climate litigation. Fig is also a keen photographer, and his images of South African landscapes have been exhibited in small galleries.¹

Just transition

A framework for shifting to a low-carbon economy while protecting workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels.

Uranium mining

The extraction of uranium ore, used for nuclear fuel and weapons, often associated with environmental and health risks.