Investor–State Disputes in the Fossil Fuel Industry

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines how investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms are used by the fossil fuel industry to protect investments and obstruct climate actions, specifically the phasing out of fossil fuels.

• The fossil fuel industry is the most litigious sector within the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, representing nearly 20% of all known cases, with 231 identified investment arbitrations related to fossil fuels.
• ISDS cases involving fossil fuels typically result in rulings in favor of investors, with average awards exceeding USD 600 million, which is nearly five times the average award for non-fossil fuel cases.
• There is an increasing trend of fossil fuel industry investment arbitrations aimed at counteracting climate measures, such as the phasing out of fossil fuels, which the report identifies as a major obstacle for countries addressing climate change.

APA

Di Salvatore,, L. (2021). Investor–State Disputes in the Fossil Fuel Industry. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/investor-state-disputes-fossil-fuel-industry

Chicago

Di Salvatore,, Lea. Investor–State Disputes in the Fossil Fuel Industry. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/investor-state-disputes-fossil-fuel-industry.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Di Salvatore, |first1=Lea |title=Investor–State Disputes in the Fossil Fuel Industry |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=31 December 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/investor-state-disputes-fossil-fuel-industry |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{disalvatore2021investorstate, author = {Di Salvatore,, Lea}, title = {{Investor–State Disputes in the Fossil Fuel Industry}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/investor-state-disputes-fossil-fuel-industry}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }