The shifting sands above the oil: commercial and legal tools to manage political risk in emerging markets

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Christopher Flynn

An increasing number of Australian resources companies are investing in emerging markets, particularly in Africa. Managing an investment in these countries, and the joint ventures invariably formed in them, is an important part of improving shareholder value, raising capital, and managing political risk. These countries typically take a strategic approach to energy security and resource nationalism rather than the more market-focused approach of western states and companies. While the key risk is expropriation, political risk also presents itself in many other ways. During the long term, an investor needs to minimise the likelihood that it becomes cheaper for a government to breach its obligations to the company than it is to comply with them. Doing that requires several important interrelated protections (both legal and commercial) to minimise political risk and ensure that if expropriation does occur, the investor has maximised its chances of recovering its losses. A range of commercial and legal tools—deployable inside and outside of a country—are available to structure these investments, support operations, and minimise political risk in emerging markets. Drawing on his experience advising on energy and resources projects and transactions in more than 50 countries, author Chris Flynn outlines key legal protections to be sought in any contracts with respect to investments made in these countries. He also discusses useful commercial tools to help align the interests of the company, its local partners, and government.

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 80-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Stratling

Based on deliberations on the legitimacy of CSR from the perspective of stakeholder and legitimacy theory on the one hand and the more critical view of Milton Friedman and Michael Jenson on the other hand, this paper analyses how major energy companies legitimise their CSR activities in their Annual Reports and their CSR reports. The research indicates that managers recognise the potential contribution of CSR to long-term financial performance of firms as well as the need to socially legitimise the firm’s operations. A surprisingly limited number of the companies in the sample take a very explicit strategic approach to CSR by stressing long-term shareholder value maximisation. The CSR policies therefore appear not to focus solely on a strategic stakeholder approach geared towards maximising shareholder value but to reflect considerations raised by legitimacy theory


Author(s):  
J.S. Clark

Agroforests and woodlots offer Northland hill country farmers investment and diversification opportunities. Agroforests have less effect on the "whole farm" financial position than woodlots, especially where a progressive planting regime is adopted and where no further borrowing is required. Establishment and tending costs for agro-forests are lower, and returns come much sooner. The proven opportunity for continued grazing under trees established in this manner, apart from a short post-planting period, further enhances the agroforesty option. Even where there is reluctance on a farmer's part to plant trees on high fertility land, the expected financial returns from agroforests on low and medium fertility land will increase the overall long-term profitability and flexibility of the whole farming operation. Woodlots may be more appropriate on low fertility areas where weed reversion is likely. Joint ventures may be worth considering where farm finances are a limited factor. Keywords: On-farm forestry development, Northland hill country, agroforestry, woodlots, diversification, joint ventures, progressive planting regimes, grazing availability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-478
Author(s):  
Ahmad Gashamoglu ◽  

The Article briefly discusses the need for generation of the Science of Ahangyol, and this science’s scientific basis, object and subject, category system, scientific research methods and application options. Ahangyol is a universal science and may be useful in any sphere. It may assist in problem solving in peacemaking process and in many areas such as ecology, economics, politics, culture, management and etc. This science stipulates that any activity and any decision made in the life may only and solely be successful when they comply with harmony principles more, which are the principles of existence and activity of the world. A right strategic approach of the Eastern Philosophy and the Middle Age Islamic Philosophy and scientific thought has an important potential. This strategic approach creates opportunities to also consider irrational factors in addition to rational ones comprehensively in scientific researches. The modern scientific thought contributes to implementation of these opportunities. Ahangyol is a science of determination of ways to achieve harmony in any sphere and of creation of special methods to make progress in these ways through assistance of the modern science. Methods of the System Theory, Mathematics, IT, Astronomy, Physics, Biology, Sociology, Statistics and etc. are more extensively applied. Information is given on some of these methods. Moreover, the Science of Ahangyol, which is a new philosophical worldview and a new paradigm contributes to clarification of metaphysic views considerably and discovery of the scientific potential of religious books.


2018 ◽  
Vol 940 (10) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Belozertseva ◽  
A.A. Sorokovoj

On the basis of long-term researches of soils in the territory of Russia and Mongolia soil and ecological division into districts of the Baikal region is carried out. At division into districts the whole set of an environment of soil formation was considered. On the map of soil and ecological division into districts 13 mountain, mid-mountain, low-mountain taiga, foothill, hollow-valley, forest-steppe and steppe provinces reflecting surface device originality as the ratio of balance of heat and moisture forming a basis to zoning is shown against the background of difficult orography are allocated. In total 42 districts on lithologic-geomorphological features are allocated. In formation of distinctions of a soil cover of these provinces the leading role is played by bioclimatic factors and inside them the lithologic-geomorphological ones. In the view of structural approach of the district they are considered as territories with a certain natural change of several types of the soil cover structure caused by features of a relief and the parent rock. The map is made in the MapInfo program. It is revealed that on ill-defined width zoning of soils the vertical one which has a greater influence on soils of this region is imposed. Soils of the Baikal region are not similar to the soils located at the same latitude of the flat European territory of Russia. Zone soils of this territory are specific and original.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6425
Author(s):  
Hidenori Takahashi ◽  
Shinya Omori ◽  
Hideyuki Asada ◽  
Hirofumi Fukawa ◽  
Yusuke Gotoh ◽  
...  

Cellulose nanofibre (CNF), a material composed of ultrafine fibres of wood cellulose fibrillated to nano-order level, is expected to be widely used because of its excellent properties. However, in the field of geotechnical engineering, almost no progress has been made in the development of techniques for using CNFs. The authors have focused on the use of CNF as an additive in cement treatment for soft ground, where cement is added to solidify the ground, because CNF can reduce the problems associated with cement-treated soil. This paper presents the results of a study on the method of mixing CNF, the strength and its variation obtained by adding CNF, and the change in permeability. CNF had the effect of mixing the cement evenly and reducing the variation in the strength of the treated soil. The CNF mixture increased the strength at the initial age but reduced the strength development in the long term. The addition of CNF also increased the flexural strength, although it hardly changed the permeability.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Trifonov ◽  
Dmitry Trukhan ◽  
Yury Koshlich ◽  
Valeriy Prasolov ◽  
Beata Ślusarczyk

In this study we aimed to determine the extent to which changes in the share of renewable energy sources, their structural complex, and the level of energy security in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries in the medium- and long-term are interconnected. The study was performed through modeling and determination of the structural characteristics of energy security in the countries. The methodology of the approach to modeling was based on solving the problem of nonlinear optimization by selecting a certain scenario. For the study, the data of EECCA countries were used. The ability of EECCA countries to benefit from long-term indirect and induced advantages of the transformation period depends on the extent to which their domestic supply chains facilitate the deployment of energy transformation and induced economic activity. This study provides an opportunity to assess the degree of influence of renewable energy sources on the level of energy security of countries in the context of energy resource diversification. The high degree of influence of renewable energy sources on energy security in the EECCA countries has been proven in the implementation of the developed scenarios for its increase. Energy security is growing. At the same time, its level depends not only on an increase in the share of renewable sources but also on the structure of energy resources complex of countries, and the development of various renewable energy sources. Therefore, today the EECCA countries are forced not only to increase the share of renewable energy sources but also to attach strategic importance to the structural content of their energy complex.


Author(s):  
Mark Kersten

Abstract Does the potential investigation into Palestine by the International Criminal Court (ICC) threaten the chances of a lasting ‘peace’ between Israel and Palestine? This article endeavours to answer that question and critically assesses claims that the Court could undermine peace in the Middle East. I first examine the key claims made in the so-called ‘peace versus justice’ debate. I then outline some of the specific arguments made in the context of a possible ICC investigation in Palestine that touch upon concerns over the Court’s impacts on peace processes and negotiations. Following this, I try to assess critically the validity of these claims, arguing that while it would be wrong to conclude that the ICC will invariably have positive impacts on efforts to establish peace, there is no evidence that the Court will undermine whatever ‘peace’ is currently on offer for Palestinians and Israelis. On the contrary, this ‘peace’ may itself be a threat to resolving the conflict peaceably and to long-term stability in the region. Finally, I conclude the article with some reflections on the peace-justice debate and its applicability to the Israel–Palestine situation.


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