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Growing litigation issues in the energy transition
15/3/2023
8 min read
Feature
The international law firm Bracewell has wide-ranging experience handling litigation issues in the energy sector. A recent media roundtable addressed the rise of disputes during the energy transition. New Energy World Features Editor Brian Davis reports.
The traditional hydrocarbon-based energy sector faces a barrage of litigation disputes during the energy transition, from concerns about accelerating climate change to accusations of greenwashing. Here, Alistair Calvert, an energy disputes lawyer at Bracewell gives an insight into some of the growing trends in climate-related litigation.
‘Driven by the nature of the energy trilemma – and the need to find balance between energy reliability, affordability and sustainability as three core elements on the road to net zero – we expect to see these pressures leading to a significant number of disputes,’ remarks Calvert.
The first two elements, security and affordability, have already made a major impact and account for the majority of current disputes. ‘Most disputes in the energy sector are commercial’, he says. ‘But issues around climate litigation are trending up. Though they still account for only a fraction of disputes.’