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Natural resources and energy

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in natural resources and energy sectors

Related topics

Renewable resources

Oil, gas, and mining

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Basic guide

Read our introduction to corruption and anti-corruption efforts in natural resources and energy.

Research and policy agenda

Discover what U4 and others do to advance research and reduce corruption in natural resources and energy.

Featured content

Wind and solar energy in Mexico and Kenya: Corruption risks and drivers

Renewable energy, prone to 'old corruption', reveals shared risks in Mexico and Kenya. Corruption impacts policymaking, planning, and communities, demanding tailored measures and robust implementation.

Deforestation in Peru: Confronting the informal practices, state capture, and collusion

Greater transparency and accountability of elected officials, as well as enhanced environmental management, is crucial to meeting the challenges faced…

The ‘coal theft’ case: Corruption and reform of Mongolia’s strategic minerals governance

Parliamentary elections in 2024 may be an opportune moment for reformers to address shortcomings in how the economically important minerals sector is…

27 February 2024

Natural resource commodity supply chains

Policymakers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders are encouraged to improve understanding of corruption risks along the supply chain, to better…

Community-based natural resource management as a good governance and anti-corruption method: Lessons from Madagascar

In Madagascar, high-level corruption can undermine local efforts to save the island’s threatened ecosystems. Communities need better participation and…

From the blog

Blog
Tackling police corruption in the Brazilian Amazon is a path to addressing illegal logging and mining
New research is bringing together ideas about the ‘brokerage’ role played by law enforcement in the Amazon, and anti-corruption approaches.
18 January 2024
Natural resources and energy
Social norms and networks
Justice sector
Blog
Informality in Uganda’s illegal wildlife trade: The promise and perils of community engagement
Uganda’s rich biodiversity is threatened by the illegal wildlife trade. But efforts to tackle the trade are undermined by corruption. Sustained…
11 January 2024
Renewable resources
Natural resources and energy
Social norms and networks
Civil society
Blog
Greenwashing: A form of corruption?
Greenwashing – misleading people over environmental claims – can be a form of corruption or a form of fraud. It damages trust, and undermines public…
14 December 2023
Climate change
Natural resources and energy
Oil, gas, and mining
Blog
Let’s face it, COP28 is corrupt – but no more so than previous ones
Conflicts of interest have invaded and corrupted global efforts to fight climate change for many years. COP28 is merely the latest in a long line of…
30 November 2023
Climate change
Oil, gas, and mining
Private sector
Natural resources and energy
Blog
Corruption is unaffordable for Latin America’s resurgent left: Democracy and lives are at stake
Of the 19 national governments in Latin America, 12 now represent the political left. If these leaders and parties want to enhance their legitimacy,…
16 October 2023
Politics of anti-corruption
Natural resources and energy
Public financial management
Civil society
Blog
The 2024 elections will be crucial for Indonesian forests: what can we learn from Norway’s anti-deforestation support?
Keeping Indonesia’s primary deforestation rate on a downward trajectory in the future will not be easy. Norway and others will need to pay more for…
20 September 2023
Climate change
Natural resources and energy
Politics of anti-corruption
Blog
A global database on environmental corruption could help protect nature and society
Corruption plays a significant role in environmental harms around the world. A global database of environmental corruption could assist anyone working…
26 September 2022
Climate change
Civil society
Natural resources and energy
Renewable resources
Blog
War, corruption, and reconstruction: protecting Ukraine’s ancient forests
The war in Ukraine is damaging its ancient forests. Reconstruction efforts must protect Ukraine’s forests and tackle corruption challenges in the…
5 September 2022
Renewable resources
Natural resources and energy
Ukraine
Blog
Anti-corruption is not a zero-sum game between China and ‘the West’
Corruption remains a problem that all countries have in common. OECD donors should lead by example and prioritise genuine engagement over futile blame…
9 February 2022
Development cooperation
Natural resources and energy
Climate change

Latest publications

U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption risks in Mozambique’s energy sector
Corruption hampers Mozambique's energy sector growth potential, but improvements through regulatory independence and community consultation are being…
30 July 2024
Natural resources and energy
U4 Brief
Deforestation in Peru: Confronting the informal practices, state capture, and collusion
Greater transparency and accountability of elected officials, as well as enhanced environmental management, is crucial to meeting the challenges faced…
9 April 2024
Natural resources and energy
Renewable resources
U4 Issue
Wind and solar energy in Mexico and Kenya: Corruption risks and drivers
Renewable energy, prone to 'old corruption', reveals shared risks in Mexico and Kenya. Corruption impacts policymaking, planning, and communities,…
8 April 2024
Climate change
Renewable resources
Natural resources and energy
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Integrity risks in carbon markets in Mozambique
Carbon markets, while promising, lack transparency and robust oversight, posing integrity risks that necessitate enhanced cross-sectoral and…
4 March 2024
Natural resources and energy
Climate change
U4 Brief
The ‘coal theft’ case: Corruption and reform of Mongolia’s strategic minerals governance
Parliamentary elections in 2024 may be an opportune moment for reformers to address shortcomings in how the economically important minerals sector is…
27 February 2024
Oil, gas, and mining
Natural resources and energy
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Land corruption risks in the green energy sector
Green energy transition heightens corruption risks associated with land demands, potentially causing displacement and a "green resource curse."…
26 November 2023
Climate change
Natural resources and energy
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption risks in land-based solutions to climate change.
The "green land rush" amid climate change and population growth, required for global climate pledges, poses corruption risks such as political…
23 October 2023
Climate change
Natural resources and energy
Renewable resources
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria’s electricity sector
Corruption in the Nigerian electricity sector disrupts its supply chain, leading to frequent outages, limited electricity access, biased investor…
5 October 2023
Natural resources and energy
U4 Brief
Doing reconstruction funding well: International lessons for Ukraine’s energy sector
Ukraine is not the first country to require urgent reconstruction of its energy sector. Other countries’ efforts can provide some valuable lessons –…
1 October 2023
Ukraine
Natural resources and energy
Procurement
Corruption risk management and integrity
Development cooperation

Further Resources

Podcast
Corruption in Indonesia’s forest sector: No victimless crime
Episode 4 of the Corruption Tapes podcast: A discussion on Indonesia's corrupt forest sector
2 June 2021
Podcast
Uncovering corrupt schemes in the forest sector: The role of investigations
Episode 3 of the Corruption Tapes podcast: A discussion on investigating illegal forest activities and corruption
2 June 2021
Podcast
Illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon: A business founded on corruption
Episode 2 of the Corruption Tapes podcast: A discussion on corruption and illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon and what can be learnt from past…
13 January 2021
Podcast
Corruption and anti-corruption at the frontline of forest conservation: Time to address the power structures
Episode 1 of the Corruption Tapes podcast: A discussion on rangers at the frontline of corruption and anti-corruption
16 December 2020

Resource Collections

Collection
Targeting Natural Resource Corruption

Topic Experts

Aled Williams

Aled Williams

Principal Adviser

Related topics

Renewable resources

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in forest, climate, and green energy sectors

Updated 9 April 2024

Oil, gas, and mining

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in the oil, gas, and mining sectors

Updated 18 July 2024

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The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre works to reduce the harmful impact of corruption on society. U4 is a permanent centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway.

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