Compliance under pressure, resilience by design

In 2023, NGO ClientEarth filed a lawsuit against Shell’s Board of Directors, arguing that their failure to implement a credible climate transition strategy constituted a breach of their legal duties.

Although dismissed at first instance in the UK, the case set a precedent for directors’ personal liability under fiduciary law for climate inaction.

TotalEnergies also faces lawsuits in France over “greenwashing” and human rights violations linked to its oil projects in Uganda and Tanzania.

The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack disrupted nearly half the U.S. East Coast’s fuel supply. The attackers exploited weak VPN credentials and extorted $4.4 million USD.

Since then, energy and utility firms have been classified as critical infrastructure in the EU NIS2 Directive and under the U.S. Cybersecurity Executive Order.

IIn the high-stakes world of energy licensing and contracts, public-private entanglement can lead to corruption allegations.

Italian firm ENI and Shell were involved in a multi-billion-dollar trial (OPL245) concerning Nigerian oil licenses. Though the executives were acquitted in 2021, the case highlighted serious governance vulnerabilities.

The shift to renewable technologies has increased demand for cobalt, lithium, and rare earth metals — often sourced from high-risk regions.

Reports of child labor, land grabs, and environmental damage — especially in the DRC — have triggered calls for stricter traceability and ethical sourcing.