This book addresses the topical question on how national and international environmental concerns could be adequately integrated into international investment law. It covers the question whether international investment law restricts state sovereignty in an unacceptable way - in particular, the freedom of host states to develop national policies and regulation for the improvement of the environment. The book first analyzes the interaction between international investment law and the protection of the environment, on the basis of concepts such as sustainable development, fair and equitable treatment, and international responsibility. Secondly, several chapters discuss challenges which are encountered in attempts to integrate environmental concerns in investment policies in specific sectors and regions (e.g. climate change, water pollution, renewable and nuclear energy, and the European Union region). And, finally, specific case studies illustrate the legal and policy tensions between investment law and environmental protection, namely Vattenfall's disputes with Germany, legal clashes between Chevron and Ecuador, and multinational mining companies' conflicts in Indonesia. The contributions are written by international experts and will be of interest to policy makers and practitioners. *** Librarians: ebook available (Series: Legal Perspectives for Global Challenges - Vol. 4) [Subject: International Law, Investment Law, Environmental Law]

This contribution is based on the discussions that took place in the international conference “Bridging the Gap between International Investment Law and the Environment” which was held on 4-5 November 2013 in the Hague. The main goal of the conference was to answer the question of how the gap between international investment law and the environment can be bridged. Different perspectives were presented, helping to shed light on this issue. The emphasis of the first day of the conference was the academic debate in the field of international investment law and the environment. Four main perspectives were discussed: general principles of international investment law and the environment, various legal regimes, specific legal regimes and case studies. Furthermore, also the topics of sustainable development, the right to access to water and climate change were elaborated upon by the experts. The second day of the conference focussed on the perspective of policy-makers. Most of the topics were presented in the form of panel discussions. Issues that were discussed included: the perspective of various intergovernmental organisations, concerns and dilemmas of non-European capital-importing countries, and the European Investment Policy. This contribution elaborates upon the most important themes and issues debated at the conference, providing academic and policy perspectives.

The Research Handbook on Environment and Investment Law examines one of the most dynamic areas of international law: the interaction between international investment law and environmental law and policy. The Research Handbook takes a thematic approach, analysing key issues in the environment–investment nexus, such as freshwater resources, climate, biodiversity, biotechnology and sustainable development. It also includes sections which explore regional experiences and address practice and procedure, and offers innovative approaches and critical perspectives, including the interface between foreign investment and the environment with human rights, gender, indigenous peoples, and economics.

Policies aimed at the expansion of transnational capital are sometimes implemented at the expense of growing social inequality and popular frustration in host countries. This timely and deeply researched volume identifies – and offers new insights into – the growing use of and reliance upon international environmental and human rights law in the arbitration of investor–State disputes. It presents a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to the most effective way to connect international investment law to the protection of human rights and the environment. Based on an analysis of 30 arbitral awards, this book demonstrates how recent investment treaty arbitration – and in particular respondent States’ argumentation in arbitral proceedings – highlights the human rights and environmental considerations connected with such factors as the following: the fair and equitable treatment (FET) clause; jurisdictional obstacles; treaty conflict; role of amici curiae; damages; tribunal’s dilution of the significance of environmental and human rights law; corporate social responsibility; free, prior, and informed consent; social license to operate; and (in)applicability of the systemic approach to the interpretation of investment treaties. As investment arbitration continues to be challenged by growing demands for greater public involvement and for participation of third parties that are affected by the proceedings, this book responds to the need to reshape the investment regime into more human rights and environmentally friendly system. It will prove an invaluable resource for arbitral institutions, academics, arbitrators, arbitration counsel, and other participants in investment treaty arbitration.

Environmental Interests in Investment Arbitration Challenges and Directions Flavia Marisi Economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection stand at the core of sustainable development, which aims to deliver long-term growth for current and future generations. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can play a key role in sustainable development. Host states’ benefits descending from FDI inflows include tax revenues, technology transfer, specialised training of local human resources, network with satellite activities, better availability of quality products and customer-centric services. These downstream effects jointly stimulate economic growth and social inclusion. This thoroughly researched book explores the relationship between environmental protection – the third component of sustainable development – and FDI. In practice, the intersection between environmental protection and foreign investment not only has generated remarkable success stories such as cross-sectoral green investment but has also in some instances led to severe cases of environmental degradation. Certain foreign investments resulted in open-pit mines leaking harmful substances into the soil, excessive deforestation, improper treatment of water, pollution of groundwater and contamination of mud pits following oil exploitation, leaving the host state with significant environmental damage. Some other cases have witnessed the host state withdrawing or infringing its own environmental policies, which could, in principle, lead to a decrease in the value of the foreign investment as a result of natural resources deterioration. In recent years, an increasing number of investment arbitration cases have seen a clash between the states’ commitments towards their citizens, which include the duty to protect the environment, their health and well-being, and the commitment towards foreign investors to protect their investments. In this book, the author focuses on investor-state cases in which environmental protection measures have been contested and discusses substantive mechanisms in treaty drafting, rules of Customary International Law, and interpretation doctrines, which are aimed at taking environmental concerns into consideration. The topics covered include the following: statistical analysis of investor-state cases where environmental protection measures have been contested; the role of environmental principles in investor-state arbitration; treaty mechanisms addressing environmental concerns; legal tools available under Customary International Law to address environmental interests; the application of the doctrines of proportionality, police powers, and margin of appreciation; and environmental counterclaims as an instrument to claim compensation for environmental damage. The author provides a detailed framework on the normative architecture, offers an extensive analysis of the relevant case law, and proposes concrete solutions to the identified clashes, aimed at refining the balance between environmental and investment protection. With its in-depth analysis and careful documentation, this book aptly captures the inherent fragmentation of international law and undoubtedly represents an invaluable resource for both international law practitioners and scholars. The solution-oriented approach adopted in the book will be welcomed by legal counsel, law firms, investment treaty negotiators, and decision makers at the different stages of investment lawmaking and practice, as well as by international institutions and academics.

This book provides an original and critical analysis of the most contentious subjects being negotiated in the China–EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). It focuses on the pathway of reforming investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) from both Chinese and European perspectives in the context of the China–EU CAI and beyond. The book is divided into three parts. Part I examines key and controversial issues of the China–EU CAI negotiations, including market access, sustainable development and human rights, as well as comparing distinct features between the China–EU CAI and the China–US BIT. Part II concentrates on the institutional reform of investor-state arbitration with an extensive analysis of the EU’s approach to replacing the private nature of investment arbitration with the public nature of an investment court. Part III addresses the core substantive and procedural issues concerning ISDS, such as the role of domestic courts in investment dispute settlement, the status of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as investors, transparency and the protection of victims in investment dispute resolution. This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in the field of international investment and trade law, particularly investment dispute settlement.

Are conflicts between the ‘old capitalists’ and ‘new money’ manifest in today’s economy? Are investment treaties, which have traditionally been used to protect capital exporting states, now beginning to cause unwelcome side effects for them? International investment law has long been held as an economic and political instrument in the regime of international investment, with international investment treaties having been concluded to protect foreign investment and investors for a substantial period of time. However, the emerging new economic powers from the Third World are causing this to change. Taking the unique perspective of environmental protection in host states against states’ obligations to protect and promote foreign investments under the existing international investment treaty practice and dispute settlement practices, this book examines this inescapable conflict. This is the first major work in this field to interpret investment treaty provisions by introducing environmental reflection. It offers proposals for rethinking and reshaping the current pro-investor international investment law through taking up broad environmental exceptions.

This book critically analyses the availability of environmental counterclaims in investment arbitration presented by the respondent host state against the claimant investor. It starts from the premise that the conflicting relation between investment law and environmental protection cannot always be avoided. Yet, the instrument of environmental counterclaims in investment arbitration might alleviate such relation. Throughout its chapters, this book addresses the questions about the societal and practical relevance of seeking redress for environmental damage in investment arbitration, the functioning of such instrument both in contract-based and treaty-based investment arbitration, the suitability of arbitral tribunals to rule upon environmental issues, and the kind of environmental damages that could be redressed. Most importantly, by deconstructing the requirements of jurisdiction, connection between main claim and counterclaim, and cause of action, this book provides the tools for the re-conceptualisation of the instrument of counterclaims with the hope of harnessing its utility to achieve appropriate redress for environmental damages caused by foreign investors.

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability provides a clear and concise insight into the relationship between the institutions that govern foreign investment, sustainable development and the rules and regulations that administer natural resources. In this book, several leading experts explore different perspectives in how investment and natural resources come together to achieve sustainable development in developing countries with examples from water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mineral, agriculture, and carbon trading. Despite varying perspectives, it is clear that several themes are central in considering the linkages between natural resources, investment and sustainability. Specifically, transparency, good governance and citizen empowerment are vital conditions which encourage positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for developing countries. In addition, this book provides new insights into key concepts which underpin international law, including sovereign rights and state responsibility principles. It is clear from this book that in the attempt to reconcile these concepts and principles from separate legal regimes, complex policy questions emerge whereby it is difficult to attain mutually beneficial or succinct outcomes. This book explores how countries prioritise their policy objectives to achieve their notion of sustainable natural resource use, which is strongly influenced by power imbalances that inform North–South cooperation, as well as South–South cooperation in the international investment regime. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and researchers of international environmental law, international human rights law, international investment law and international economic law. This book may also be of relevance to environmentalists, policy-makers, NGOs, and investors working in the natural resources field.