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09 September 2022 / Mark McMahon
Issue: 7993 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , ESG
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The rise of renewable energy disputes

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Investment in renewables is accelerating, and arbitration tends to be the best way to resolve disputes, writes Mark McMahon
  • Arbitration is the dispute resolution mechanism of choice for issues distinctive to renewable energy projects.
  • We can expect to see greater numbers of these disputes in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Renewable energy is not new. It has been around since waterwheels in 2000 BC, windmills in the 16th century and solar systems as early as the 19th century.

Technological advancements and innovation have contributed to the sophistication and commercialisation of the renewable energy industry, with many countries now having solar, wind and hydropower capabilities.

Global demand for, and investment in, the renewable energy sector is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and investment in renewable energy projects continues to grow. From 2010 to 2019, investment exceeded $2.6tn. Of energy spending in 2021, renewable projects attracted the most at $366bn.

There has been increasing pressure from the public for states, corporates and financial institutions to embrace renewable energy. This

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

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A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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