Global Energy Law and Policy – serie

Global energy is on the cusp of change, and it has become almost a truism that energy is in transition. But what does this notion mean exactly? This book explores the working hypothesis that, characteristically, the energy system requires a strategy of the international community of states to deliver sustainable energy to which all have access. This strategy is for establishing rules-based governance of the global energy value-cycle. The book has four substantive parts that bring together contributions of leading experts from academia and practice on the law, policy, and economics of energy. Part I, ‘The prospects of energy transition’, critically discusses the leading forecasts for energy and the strategies that resource-rich countries may adopt. Part II, ‘Rules-based multilateral governance of the energy sector’, details the development and sources of rules on energy. Part III, ‘Competition and regulation in transboundary energy markets’, discusses principal instruments of rules-based governance of energy. Part IV, ‘Attracting investments and the challenges of multi-level governance’, focuses on the critical governance of the right investments. This book is a flagship publication of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee. It launches the Hart series ‘Global Energy Law and Policy’ and is edited by the series general editors Professors Peter D Cameron and Volker Roeben, and also Dr Xiaoyi Mu.

This timely collection of essays examines the legal and regulatory dynamics of energy transitions in the context of emerging trends towards decarbonisation and low-carbon energy solutions. The book explores this topic by considering the applicable energy law and policy frameworks in both:(i) highly industrialised and major economies such as the US, EU, China and Australia;(ii) resource-rich developing countries such as Nigeria and regions like Southern Africa.Comprising 16 chapters, the book delves into the tradeoffs and regulatory complexities of carbon-constraints in conventional energy supply systems, while maintaining a reliable and secure energy system that is equally sustainable (ie decarbonised). It highlights the importance of ensuring affordable access to energy services in developing economies as the energy transitions unfold and explores the potentials of emerging technologies such as hydrogen networks, power-to-gas and Carbon Capture and Storage. Additionally, the book also considers the international investment law implications of energy decarbonisation.Focusing on the nexus between law, regulation and institutions, it adopts a contextual approach to examine how and to what extent institutions can effectively facilitate more reliable, sustainable and secure energy supply systems in the twenty-first century. This book portrays the conventional hydrocarbon-based energy supply industry in a largely international and interconnected context. It highlights the costs, benefits and losses that may arise as the transition towards decarbonisation unfolds depending on the pathways and solutions adopted. With chapters written by leading experts in energy law and policy, the reader-friendly style and engaging discussions will benefit an international audience of policymakers, academics, students and advisers looking for a more incisive understanding of the issues involved in energy transitions and the decarbonisation of energy systems.

This book assesses stability guarantees through the lens of the legitimate expectations principle to offer a new perspective on the stability concept in international energy investments. The analysis of the interaction between the concepts of stability and legitimate expectations reveals that there are now more opportunities for energy investors to argue their cases before arbitral tribunals. The book offers detailed analyses of the latest energy investment arbitral awards from Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic, and reflects on the state of the art of the legitimate expectations debate and its relationship with the stability concept. The author argues that, in order to achieve stability, the legitimate expectations principle should be employed as the main investment protection tool when a dispute arises on account of unilateral host state alterations. This timely work will be useful to both scholars and practitioners who are interested in international energy law, investment treaty arbitration, and international investment law.

This book analyses the nexus between land access and the extractive industries in Africa, specifically highlighting the gaps in energy, land and mining laws and the practical solutions needed to settle the increasing number of land disputes in resource-rich areas.Access to land is essential for the successful operation of energy and mining projects. However, there are often social, environmental and economic issues associated with acquiring land for these projects. Socially, many people are relocated; economically, local communities are not given adequate compensation; environmentally, pollution negatively impacts on the agricultural and fishing industries relied on by over 80% of the local communities. Against this stark background, and drawing from the author’s fieldwork research, this book addresses the important question of whether the different land tenure systems, coupled with administration and registration procedures, are adequate to address the increasing land disputes in oil and mineral-rich African countries.

This groundbreaking book collects contributions from many of the world’s leading climate and energy law scholars and provides the first major study of national Climate Change Acts. This cutting-edge type of legislation originated with the first Climate Change Act framework which was passed in the United Kingdom in 2008, and is intended to enable the law to grapple effectively with one of the great problems of our times, anthropogenic climate change. Since 2008, national framework climate legislation has been slowly but steadily emerging in countries across the world. This trailblazing collection employs a comparative analytical legal methodology and offers the first comprehensive study of this new, innovative form of legislative regime. In addition to containing broad internationalist chapters, deep-dive national case study chapters are included that focus on individual countries and provide analytical depth. A final chapter draws together the threads of the book’s foregoing contributions to deduce generalisable conceptual insights based on current knowledge and experience. Uniquely, the book provides a conceptual model for Climate Change Acts that can usefully inform the development of national framework climate legislation in all countries.

This book considers, and offers solutions to, the problems faced by local communities and the environment with respect to global mining.The author explores the idea of grievance mechanisms in the home states of the major mining conglomerates. These grievance mechanisms should be functional, pragmatic and effective at resolving disputes between mining enterprises and impacted communities. The key to this provocative solution is twofold: the proposal harnesses the power of industry-sponsored dispute mechanisms to reduce the costs and other burdens on home state governments and judicial systems. Critically, civil society actors will be given a role as both advocates and mediators in order to achieve a fair result for those impacted abroad by extractive enterprises.Compelling, engaging and timely, this book presents an innovative approach for regulating the foreign conduct of the extractive sector.

This book explores a disciplinary matrix for the study of the law and governance concerning mining and minerals from a global perspective. The book considers the key challenges of achieving the goals of Agenda 2030 and the transition to low-carbon circular economies. The perspective encompasses the multi-faceted and highly complex interaction of multiple fields of international law and policy, soft law and standards, domestic laws and regulations as well as local levels of ordering of social relations.What emerges is a largely neglected, unsystematised and under-theorised field of study which lies at the intersection of the global economy, environmental sustainability, human rights and social equity. But it also underlies the many loopholes to address at all levels, most notably at the local level – land and land holders, artisanal miners, ecosystems, local economies, local linkages and development. The book calls for a truly cosmopolitan academic discipline to be built and identifies challenges to do so. It also sets a research agenda for further studies in this fast-changing field.

This groundbreaking book collects contributions from many of the world’s leading climate and energy law scholars and provides the first major study of national Climate Change Acts. This cutting-edge type of legislation originated with the first Climate Change Act framework which was passed in the United Kingdom in 2008, and is intended to enable the law to grapple effectively with one of the great problems of our times, anthropogenic climate change. Since 2008, national framework climate legislation has been slowly but steadily emerging in countries across the world. This trailblazing collection employs a comparative analytical legal methodology and offers the first comprehensive study of this new, innovative form of legislative regime. In addition to containing broad internationalist chapters, deep-dive national case study chapters are included that focus on individual countries and provide analytical depth. A final chapter draws together the threads of the book’s foregoing contributions to deduce generalisable conceptual insights based on current knowledge and experience. Uniquely, the book provides a conceptual model for Climate Change Acts that can usefully inform the development of national framework climate legislation in all countries.

Global energy is on the cusp of change, and it has become almost a truism that energy is in transition. But what does this notion mean exactly? This book explores the working hypothesis that, characteristically, the energy system requires a strategy of the international community of states to deliver sustainable energy to which all have access. This strategy is for establishing rules-based governance of the global energy value-cycle. The book has four substantive parts that bring together contributions of leading experts from academia and practice on the law, policy, and economics of energy. Part I, ‘The prospects of energy transition’, critically discusses the leading forecasts for energy and the strategies that resource-rich countries may adopt. Part II, ‘Rules-based multilateral governance of the energy sector’, details the development and sources of rules on energy. Part III, ‘Competition and regulation in transboundary energy markets’, discusses principal instruments of rules-based governance of energy. Part IV, ‘Attracting investments and the challenges of multi-level governance’, focuses on the critical governance of the right investments. This book is a flagship publication of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee. It launches the Hart series ‘Global Energy Law and Policy’ and is edited by the series general editors Professors Peter D Cameron and Volker Roeben, and also Dr Xiaoyi Mu.

This book considers, and offers solutions to, the problems faced by local communities and the environment with respect to global mining.The author explores the idea of grievance mechanisms in the home states of the major mining conglomerates. These grievance mechanisms should be functional, pragmatic and effective at resolving disputes between mining enterprises and impacted communities. The key to this provocative solution is twofold: the proposal harnesses the power of industry-sponsored dispute mechanisms to reduce the costs and other burdens on home state governments and judicial systems. Critically, civil society actors will be given a role as both advocates and mediators in order to achieve a fair result for those impacted abroad by extractive enterprises.Compelling, engaging and timely, this book presents an innovative approach for regulating the foreign conduct of the extractive sector.

This timely collection of essays examines the legal and regulatory dynamics of energy transitions in the context of emerging trends towards decarbonisation and low-carbon energy solutions. The book explores this topic by considering the applicable energy law and policy frameworks in both:(i) highly industrialised and major economies such as the US, EU, China and Australia;(ii) resource-rich developing countries such as Nigeria and regions like Southern Africa.Comprising 16 chapters, the book delves into the tradeoffs and regulatory complexities of carbon-constraints in conventional energy supply systems, while maintaining a reliable and secure energy system that is equally sustainable (ie decarbonised). It highlights the importance of ensuring affordable access to energy services in developing economies as the energy transitions unfold and explores the potentials of emerging technologies such as hydrogen networks, power-to-gas and Carbon Capture and Storage. Additionally, the book also considers the international investment law implications of energy decarbonisation.Focusing on the nexus between law, regulation and institutions, it adopts a contextual approach to examine how and to what extent institutions can effectively facilitate more reliable, sustainable and secure energy supply systems in the twenty-first century. This book portrays the conventional hydrocarbon-based energy supply industry in a largely international and interconnected context. It highlights the costs, benefits and losses that may arise as the transition towards decarbonisation unfolds depending on the pathways and solutions adopted. With chapters written by leading experts in energy law and policy, the reader-friendly style and engaging discussions will benefit an international audience of policymakers, academics, students and advisers looking for a more incisive understanding of the issues involved in energy transitions and the decarbonisation of energy systems.

This book assesses stability guarantees through the lens of the legitimate expectations principle to offer a new perspective on the stability concept in international energy investments. The analysis of the interaction between the concepts of stability and legitimate expectations reveals that there are now more opportunities for energy investors to argue their cases before arbitral tribunals. The book offers detailed analyses of the latest energy investment arbitral awards from Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic, and reflects on the state of the art of the legitimate expectations debate and its relationship with the stability concept. The author argues that, in order to achieve stability, the legitimate expectations principle should be employed as the main investment protection tool when a dispute arises on account of unilateral host state alterations. This timely work will be useful to both scholars and practitioners who are interested in international energy law, investment treaty arbitration, and international investment law.

This book analyses the nexus between land access and the extractive industries in Africa, specifically highlighting the gaps in energy, land and mining laws and the practical solutions needed to settle the increasing number of land disputes in resource-rich areas.Access to land is essential for the successful operation of energy and mining projects. However, there are often social, environmental and economic issues associated with acquiring land for these projects. Socially, many people are relocated; economically, local communities are not given adequate compensation; environmentally, pollution negatively impacts on the agricultural and fishing industries relied on by over 80% of the local communities. Against this stark background, and drawing from the author’s fieldwork research, this book addresses the important question of whether the different land tenure systems, coupled with administration and registration procedures, are adequate to address the increasing land disputes in oil and mineral-rich African countries.

This book examines the regulatory, environmental, financial, socio-legal, and safety aspects that shape offshore energy infrastructure projects and their operation. The marine environment holds vast resources to provide energy solutions for humankind. The sustainable development of such offshore energy resources is one of the most pressing challenges posed by the energy transition. Whereas offshore hydrocarbons have been explored and extracted for more than a century, the offshore renewable industry is rapidly expanding, with lawmakers increasingly looking to the oceans for significant energy development. Offshore spaces now amalgamate mature and emerging energy industries, creating a pressing need to identify synergies and regulatory challenges. However, and despite the pivotal role offshore energy is to play in the future, the interaction, synergies and conflicts arising between these regulatory, socio-legal, environmental and financial dimensions of offshore energy are often not discussed within the energy law scholarship. This book aims to fill this evident gap in existing energy law research to distil critical legal lessons from traditional offshore energy sectors to encourage best practice regulation of offshore energy net zero industries. Offshore Energy Law provides a functional analysis that covers the life cycle of offshore energy developments, including renewable and hydrocarbons, within the broader context of the energy crisis and energy transition debates. Written and edited by leading global offshore energy experts, the book brings together a global and sectoral comparative perspective to central offshore energy topics such as licensing, socio-legal challenges and opportunities, safety and ecological governance, and the use of marine/maritime spatial planning.

This book examines the regulatory, environmental, financial, socio-legal, and safety aspects that shape offshore energy infrastructure projects and their operation. The marine environment holds vast resources to provide energy solutions for humankind. The sustainable development of such offshore energy resources is one of the most pressing challenges posed by the energy transition. Whereas offshore hydrocarbons have been explored and extracted for more than a century, the offshore renewable industry is rapidly expanding, with lawmakers increasingly looking to the oceans for significant energy development. Offshore spaces now amalgamate mature and emerging energy industries, creating a pressing need to identify synergies and regulatory challenges. However, and despite the pivotal role offshore energy is to play in the future, the interaction, synergies and conflicts arising between these regulatory, socio-legal, environmental and financial dimensions of offshore energy are often not discussed within the energy law scholarship. This book aims to fill this evident gap in existing energy law research to distil critical legal lessons from traditional offshore energy sectors to encourage best practice regulation of offshore energy net zero industries. Offshore Energy Law provides a functional analysis that covers the life cycle of offshore energy developments, including renewable and hydrocarbons, within the broader context of the energy crisis and energy transition debates. Written and edited by leading global offshore energy experts, the book brings together a global and sectoral comparative perspective to central offshore energy topics such as licensing, socio-legal challenges and opportunities, safety and ecological governance, and the use of marine/maritime spatial planning.

Should Chinese energy investments be excluded from the liberal economic system based on geopolitical assessments only? This book explores the potential regulatory control by the Chinese government over foreign energy investments to achieve their perceived strategic objectives.Host states in which Chinese energy companies make investments have increasingly opposed Chinese energy investments in their national security reviews, based on concerns that these investments have strategic objectives. The book analyses China’s investment-related law, regulations, and energy policies to examine how overseas energy investment-making is governed. The book also explores the role of the Chinese government in energy investment promotion and protection. Uniquely, the examination of China’s potential regulatory control provides an objective criterion, rather than geopolitical considerations, for host states to assess the nature of Chinese energy investments. The book helps readers to open the ‘black box’ of Chinese energy investments from a regulatory perspective. It is a useful resource for researchers as well as practising lawyers assisting their Chinese clients through national security reviews, or when trying to determine whether China’s SOEs can bring cases before investor-state arbitration tribunals.

Should Chinese energy investments be excluded from the liberal economic system based on geopolitical assessments only? This book explores the potential regulatory control by the Chinese government over foreign energy investments to achieve their perceived strategic objectives.Host states in which Chinese energy companies make investments have increasingly opposed Chinese energy investments in their national security reviews, based on concerns that these investments have strategic objectives. The book analyses China’s investment-related law, regulations, and energy policies to examine how overseas energy investment-making is governed. The book also explores the role of the Chinese government in energy investment promotion and protection. Uniquely, the examination of China’s potential regulatory control provides an objective criterion, rather than geopolitical considerations, for host states to assess the nature of Chinese energy investments. The book helps readers to open the ‘black box’ of Chinese energy investments from a regulatory perspective. It is a useful resource for researchers as well as practising lawyers assisting their Chinese clients through national security reviews, or when trying to determine whether China’s SOEs can bring cases before investor-state arbitration tribunals.

This book addresses the relationship between efficient management of critical minerals and sustainability in the Global South, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Critical minerals are essential raw materials for the technologies that are pivotal in today's energy transition. However, critical mineral host states and communities face social, economic, ecological, political, technological, and governance injustices. The book contends that the criteria currently used in assessing criticality and critical mineral development do not fulfil the sustainable development ambitions of developing countries and that broader considerations must be taken into account to include the stakeholders involved as well as the spatial dimension of the critical mineral value chain. In particular, the book argues that the law must consider the broader context in which minerals become critical to particular processes. It positions this argument within the current context of climate change, the just energy transition, the minerals-energy nexus, and geopolitical tensions. By analysing the copper-cobalt value chain through case studies on DRC, Zambia, China, and the EU, the book provides new avenues for critical mineral development and acknowledges the necessity for sustainability amidst the exacerbated impacts of climate change. Addressing a key challenge of the global energy transition, the book argues for a just holistic framework, which includes parameters such as domestic value addition, human rights in business development, environmental sensitivity, the development of communication channels from remote marginalised communities to international policymakers, and the re-designing of criticality considerations beyond supply and economic aspects.

This book addresses the relationship between efficient management of critical minerals and sustainability in the Global South, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Critical minerals are essential raw materials for the technologies that are pivotal in today's energy transition. However, critical mineral host states and communities face social, economic, ecological, political, technological, and governance injustices. The book contends that the criteria currently used in assessing criticality and critical mineral development do not fulfil the sustainable development ambitions of developing countries and that broader considerations must be taken into account to include the stakeholders involved as well as the spatial dimension of the critical mineral value chain. In particular, the book argues that the law must consider the broader context in which minerals become critical to particular processes. It positions this argument within the current context of climate change, the just energy transition, the minerals-energy nexus, and geopolitical tensions. By analysing the copper-cobalt value chain through case studies on DRC, Zambia, China, and the EU, the book provides new avenues for critical mineral development and acknowledges the necessity for sustainability amidst the exacerbated impacts of climate change. Addressing a key challenge of the global energy transition, the book argues for a just holistic framework, which includes parameters such as domestic value addition, human rights in business development, environmental sensitivity, the development of communication channels from remote marginalised communities to international policymakers, and the re-designing of criticality considerations beyond supply and economic aspects.

The global energy sector is in flux, transitioning from reliance on fossil fuels to clean energy sources at an unprecedented pace. This book explores the complex interplay between this transition and international investment law. The book navigates the tension between attracting crucial and expensive investments in clean energy and protecting a state’s right to regulate its energy sector for environmental and other reasons. It analyses how international treaties and investment arbitration tribunals are evolving to address these challenges, examining how the scope of investment protection is being redefined and the delicate balance between stability and regulatory flexibility is being recalibrated. The book delves into this complex landscape, exploring how established legal frameworks, especially international investment law, grapple with the unique characteristics of renewable energy, critical minerals, and rapidly evolving technologies. While offering a roadmap for the current energy transition, the book also identifies unanswered questions. It paves the way for further discussion on critical mineral supply chains and the future of international investment law in a transformed energy landscape.

The global energy sector is in flux, transitioning from reliance on fossil fuels to clean energy sources at an unprecedented pace. This book explores the complex interplay between this transition and international investment law. The book navigates the tension between attracting crucial and expensive investments in clean energy and protecting a state’s right to regulate its energy sector for environmental and other reasons. It analyses how international treaties and investment arbitration tribunals are evolving to address these challenges, examining how the scope of investment protection is being redefined and the delicate balance between stability and regulatory flexibility is being recalibrated. The book delves into this complex landscape, exploring how established legal frameworks, especially international investment law, grapple with the unique characteristics of renewable energy, critical minerals, and rapidly evolving technologies. While offering a roadmap for the current energy transition, the book also identifies unanswered questions. It paves the way for further discussion on critical mineral supply chains and the future of international investment law in a transformed energy landscape.