Foreign investment

The surge in Chinese investments in Africa has brought about a flurry of questions expressing concern over their ecological impact in the host countries. till, the principles and implementation of environmental management by Chinese firms remains largely unknown. This work is an attempt to provide some insight on this subject, based on a case study in Chad, on a project that was initiated in 2009 by the leading Chinese petroleum firm, CNPC.

During the past several years, biofuels in rich countries have come to be regarded as an important option for reducing consumption of petroleum, which is a main policy goal as a result of recent high oil prices, energy security concerns, and global climate change. The use and development of alternative sources of energy are increasingly encouraged in western countries, and private and public sources of financial support for biofuels development have increased greatly.

This guide discusses options to structure investment contractsin ways that maximise the investment's contribution to sustainable development. The focus is on foreign investment in the natural resource sector and on lower- and middle-income countries. The guide draws on test trainings in Ghana and Central Asia and aims to provide up-to-date and comprehensive learning material for both host governments and civil society.