Can a voluntary effort between corporations, governments, and non-governmental organisations relieve the pressure from activists for tighter regulation of the oil and gas industry’s operations in Africa and other developing countries? Or will it increasingly be seen as a rubber stamp?
That is the burning issue, as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative approaches the decisive moment of its eight years of existence. All but one of 20 participating countries – most of them in Africa – with an important reporting deadline last March failed to meet it.
