Parenting counts at home and away

摘要

Global energy companies are all too aware of their environmental obligations when developing and operating oil and gas projects worldwide. However, when something goes wrong, sometimes catastrophically, with a project in a foreign jurisdiction - such as an oil spill, explosion or dumping of toxic waste - the oil majors now face increasing risk that legal action will not be launched in the country in which the incident took place but rather in their home jurisdiction. Indeed, there has been a growing international trend to hold oil and gas parent companies liable for the actions of foreign subsidiaries, often summoning parent companies to enjoin overseas litigation or dragging the dispute through their home courts. This is often because subsidiaries are merely special purpose vehicles with little or no assets, and issuing a litigious pile-driver is undertaken in the hope of promoting global environmental welfare and a greater profile.