International Laws and Regulations to File Lawsuit against Oil and Gas Organizations

This research project is determination and finding of international laws and regulations to file law suit against the organizations under oil and gas sectors, for damaging the environment and doing wrong to human kind. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background of the study 1 1.2 Research Aim 1 1.3 Research objectives1 1.4 Research questions 1 1.5 Rationale of the study2 Significance: 2 2. LITERATURE REVIEW2 2.1 Impact of global exploitation of the resources and reason behind the prosecution of the Oil and gas corporation3 2.2 Outcomes

Should widespread environment
degradation be prosecuted as a crime
against humanity? - Critical
assessment on Oil and Gas sector

ABSTRACT
With globalization and international industrialization, usage of petroleum products and
natural gas have increased. With this, mining and procurement have also enhanced with
damaging the environment. This research project is determination and finding of international
laws and regulations to file law suit against the organizations under oil and gas sectors, for
damaging the environment and doing wrong to human kind. Authors have different views on this
topic as some state that over exploration is killing the nature and other say that lack of legislation
and laws are reason for harmful effects. Effective research methodology is used to conduct the
research with using qualitative design, inductive approach, interpretive philosophy, collection of
data through secondary sources and analyzing them in thematic presentation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study.......................................................................................................1
1.2 Research Aim........................................................................................................................1
1.3 Research objectives...............................................................................................................1
1.4 Research questions................................................................................................................1
1.5 Rationale of the study...........................................................................................................2
Significance:................................................................................................................................2
2. LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................2
2.1 Impact of global exploitation of the resources and reason behind the prosecution of the Oil
and gas corporation.....................................................................................................................3
2.2 Outcomes and remedies that are been taken for managing the environmental damage
caused by oil and gas firm...........................................................................................................3
2.3 Measures taken by the international environmental communities to implement, mobilize
and pursue environmental reforms..............................................................................................4
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................5
3.1 Research type:.......................................................................................................................5
3.2 Research Approach:..............................................................................................................5
3.3 Research Philosophy:............................................................................................................5
3.4 Data collection:.....................................................................................................................5
3.5 Data analysis:........................................................................................................................6
3.6 Ethical consideration:............................................................................................................6
3.7 Time Line..............................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The oil and gas sectors at international level are engaged in mining and exploration of
natural resources mainly crude oil and petroleum products. This sector is engaged in
procurement and finding natural gas and crude oil. The effect of exploration and acquisition on
the environment are harmful and in the coming future, this will increase to immense level that
can disturb the ecological balances as well as environmental cycle. This research project is
basically based on critical assessment on determination of International standards and laws that
will be used against oil and gas sector to prosecute them in courts at globally, for the
environmental damages done by operating oil and gas organizations at worldwide. The oil and
gas sectors will be charged for criminal offense under international laws and provisions along
with finding the remedies to curb harmful effects on environment.
1.2 Research Aim
“A critical assessment on whether oil and gas sectors can be prosecuted for widespread
environmental degradation as a crime against humanity”.
1.3 Research objectives
 To determine the international normative based on which environmental damages caused
could be prosecuted under international criminal courts against oil and gas sector
 To determine outcomes in the form of remedies to improve environmental damages and
 To identify the evidences of true international community appetite to mobilize and pursue
reforms
1.4 Research questions
1. What are the international standards based on which oil and gas sector can be prosecuted
for damages caused by them to environment in international courts?
2. What are the possible outcomes as remedies to improve environmental damages and
actions to curb back the actions?
3. What evidences are collected in context of involvement of international community in
this reform?
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1.5 Rationale of the study
The issue that will be referred in this research project is related with determination of
laws, standards and legislation that can be used to file law suit against the oil and gas companies
at global level. The reason behind this is the deterioration of the environment and weather
conditions due to widespread operation of oil and gas sector (Environmental impact of oil and
gas activities, 2018). Issues will be addressed by finding the remedies on how such effects of
environmental damages can be minimized and actions taken to discourage the operations at large
level causing environmental damages and deterioration. This research project will be made with
a view to consider the fact that whether environmental damages caused by oil and gas sector is a
criminal offense against the human kind or not.
Significance
Importance of the research project can be defined stooping harmful activities or limit
operations of oil and gas organizations at international level which can curb environmental
damages caused by them. This will aid the future researchers in the same subject matter with
outcomes and findings of this research project (Lewis, 2015). With identification of laws and
legislation, this will be very helpful for economist and environmentalist to identify the impact
on financial and economical as well as on weather and climatic conditions which are changing
day by day with increasing global warming. The significance of this research can for the
international organization working in direction of protection of the environment. This will also
assist those associations and law firms in understanding of the laws at international level.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
With increase in technologies and industrialization, environmental degradation has
increased to a significant level. Especially, the fossil fuel based industries have increased to a
significant extent. The over exploitation of atural resources like oil and gas have impacted
ecological balance of the world. The ruthless excavation of non-renewable resources in form of
petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG's have created a condition of havoc all over the globe. The glaciers
are depleting and forest cover is decreasing to an extensive rate, causing the in global warming to
a greater extent.
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2.1 Impact of global exploitation of resources and reason behind the prosecution of Oil and Gas
Corporation
As per the findings of Mafimisebi and Thorne, (2017), this can be said that oil and gas
corporation, in order to expand their business and generate a good amount of revenue or profit is
seamlessly exploiting the natural resources and killing nature in the most cruel manner. They are
excavating the resources not only in their parent company, but also in other countries by making
their enterprise a multinational corporation or MNC. Besides this, increase in competition
withinoil and gas sector is key factor which has caused these organizations to increase their
productivity and operations related to it for getting more and more oil and gas based resources.
Other than this, in contradiction to this statement, study of Brisman, 2015, states that lack of
proper management and legislation of extraction of natural and non-renewable resources like
crude oil and gas is major reason that such conditions have arisen to a greater and extensive
level. The increase in pollution rate has tremendously increased many health issues in people
impacting their well-being and development. Thus, all these factors and issues are enough to take
strict legal actions under criminal law for causing damage to environment. They must be
prosecuted and must be charged with severe punishment for this unforgivable offense. Thus,
based on the proper analysis of this action plans and thus will also influence the following of the
prosecution measures on the oil and gas corporation.
2.2 Outcomes and remedies taken for managing the environmental damage caused by oil and gas
firm
With growing population and depletion of natural resources, environmental concerns of
peoples and environmentalists have increased to a greater extent. The people around globe are
opting many environmental friendly approaches to look after ill effects of the depletion of natural
resources to get proper remedies and reforms to save nature or environment from exploitation of
oil and gas based resources. As per analysis and findings of Santoro, 2018, proper environmental
reforms like increasing forest cover, reducing carbon footprint, improving better utilization of
these non-convertible and non-renewable resources within organization in much effective and
suitable manner. Besides this, the organization will look after proper handling of these tools and
thus, will cause improvement in environmental conditions in much suitable and effective
manner. The damages caused by organization will help firm to enhance quality of operations
and thus, will lead to rise in business activities related to oil and gas based products or
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industries. In argument to this, it can be said that many of oil and gas firms are working in
environment conservation field impacting wellness of business operation's and maintaining
environmental factors to a greater extent.
Other than this, Bittle, 2015 states that proper management of reformation operation will
cause enterprise to carry out environmental conditioning improvement measures. The more and
more utilization of renewable resources like solar energy, wind energy, bio fuels, etc. can be
taken in consideration that will help organization to enhance quality of operations and thus will
lead the firm to improve the quality environment to a greater extent. The adoption of suitable
measures enhance effectiveness of business and other operations and will also catalyze proper
development of new and innovative tools to tackle such harsh conditions. The development of
high efficiency engines and low emission vehicles will assist organization as well as
environment conversationalists to take suitable measures in order to carry oil and gas extraction
operations and activities that will impact productivity of the firm. However, this can be critically
said that training of staff to perform environment friendly way and producing fuel efficient
engines and automobile is a task and money oriented issue that will impact overall operations of
organization in an effective way.
2.3 Measures taken by the international environmental communities to implement, mobilize and
pursue environmental reforms
Only development of environmental reforms cannot be adequate for proper management
of environmental concerns but also their strict and suitable implementation, mobilization and
following on international level is the major concern that will help the firm to enhance the
quality of environmental factors on the better management of the environmental reforms against
oil and gas exploitation reforms.
As per assessment and findings of Benn, Edwards and Williams, 2014, this can be said
that international environment conservation community has to look after t proper implementation
and thus will look after proper rise in functional capacity of business activities in a suitable
manner. This will also improve environmental factors and growth rate of the proper nature
regaining measures. Thus, proper and effective growth of these measures will help to cover
damage and destruction caused by big oil and gas organization that are major reasons behind
increase in pollution around the world. A strict and feasible legal framework is required to be
taken in consideration by firm that will impact overall operations and thus will cause good rise
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in environmental welfare. However, this can be said with argument that many corporations can
use the loopholes of legal obligations and can mold it according to their benefits.
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research type
The qualitative research type will be selected to proceed with this research study. With
using this, in depth knowledge will be gained (Dougherty, Slevc and Grand, 2018). An
understanding of reasons underlying the research topic will be evaluated. Along with this, an
insight in to the issue related with environmental damages caused by oil and gas sectors will be
enhanced.
3.2 Research Approach
For the present research project, inductive approach will be used. This will start with
taking observations and patterns will be formed from these. With searching of the patterns, series
of tentative hypothesis will be made and after that, explanation theories will be developed
through those hypotheses. The inductive approach will be used to carry out this research project
as this will aim at generating significant information from the set of data. Content so collected
will be used for identification of patterns and establishing relationships to develop theories.
3.3 Research Philosophy
The research philosophy used in this project is interpretivism. With this interpretation od
data colled is done. (Singh, 2015). The methods for selection of data is secondary sources such
as studies articles books. Along with this, techniques for analysis and presentation of the data
will be decided upon.
3.4 Data collection
The data for this research project will be collected from secondary sources. No
information and information will be gathered from primary data. The inclusion in sources of
secondary data will be articles and journals written by professors, economist and
environmentalists. Along with this, articles and journals published in newspapers and magazines
will also be considered. The newspapers and magazines will be those which are related to key
areas of environment, finance and economics. Books from the authors in this field, especially
from famous lasers and judged on international laws and legislation will be considered.
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3.5 Data analysis
The data collected through secondary methods for this project will be analyzed in the
form of themes. The data-will be presented in thematic form (Flick, 2015). The reason behind
choosing this form of data analysis is that, this will help in emphasizing and pointing out,
examining and recording the patterns within the data and information so collected. As this will
provide a broader reading of the data toward discovery of the pattern and framing specific
research questions. The themes developed will show the pattern across the data sets which will
be important for describing the phenomenon and associated with this particular research issue
and question.
3.6 Ethical considerations
For preparing this project, ethical considerations that will be taken in account are
ensuring the quality and integrity of research. For taking any information, prior consent will be
taken from the relevant authorities or departments. The confidentiality of all data and sources
will be maintained. The facts will be considered that research project is prepared while taking
into consideration original data from reliable sources only.
3.7 Timeline
Activities / weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Identifying research topic
Review of Literature
Drafting Methodologies
Completing Proposal
Designing questionnaire and pilot
research
Documentation of records
Analysing data and interpretation
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Discussion and Conclusion
Reassessment
Final submission
CONCLUSION
Thus, on the basis of assessment, this can be said that proper management of
environmental issues is major and most important factor that is required to be taken in
consideration by oil and gas organisations. The adoption of proper legal measures and
assessment of issues related to exploitation of these operations by oil and gas firms prosecuting
them as a convict of widespread environmental depletion.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Benn, S., Edwards, M. and Williams, T., 2014. Organizational change for corporate
sustainability. Routledge.
Bittle, S., 2015. Beyond corporate fundamentalism: a Marxian class analysis of corporate crime
law reform. Critical Sociology. 41(1). pp.133-151.
Brisman, A., 2015. Environmental harm as deviance and crime. The Handbook of Deviance.
pp.471-487.
Dougherty, M. R., Slevc, L. R. and Grand, J., 2018. Making research evaluation more
transparent: Aligning research philosophy, institutional values, and reporting. Open
Science Framework.
Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. Sage.
Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five
approaches. Health promotion practice. 16(4). pp.473-475.
Mafimisebi, O.P. and Thorne, S., 2017. Vandalism-militancy relationship: the influence of risk
perception and moral disengagement. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and
Disasters. 35(3). pp.191-223.
Santoro, E., 2018. Crime and punishment. In Political concepts. Manchester University Press.
Singh, K.D., 2015. Creating your own qualitative research approach: Selecting, integrating and
operationalizing philosophy, methodology and methods. Vision. 19(2). pp.132-146.
Online
Environmental impact of oil and gas activities. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.barentswatch.no/en/articles/Environmental-impact-of-oil-and-gas-
activities/>.
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