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Fossil Fuels: Dispute Resolution

Asked by Joe MorrisLabourDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 6 November 2025UIN 86821

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the level of the UK's exposure to Investor State Disputes in the fossil fuel industry.

Answered by Chris Bryant

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. An independent Tribunal will determine the level of liability, if any, in Investor State Dispute proceedings. The Government has never faced a successful ISDS claim.

The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party.

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