Balancing Conflicting Interest between Investment Considerations and Environmental Sustainability under Cameroonian Sectoral Laws: A legal Analysis

Abstract

The natural environment provides clean water supply, clean air, mitigates climate change/global warming and ultimately sustains the wellbeing of mankind and sundry. Furthermore, natural environmental resources not only offer livelihoods, employment, and revenue to the government, which can be utilized for education, healthcare, development, and sustainable economic models, but also
ensure the well-being of the current generation without compromising the prospects of future generations to meet their needs. Worth noting is that economic development explains why investment activities have increased at an alarming rate worldwide with favorable conditions for multilateral corporations to expand and diversify their exercises in different sectors of the economy. Unfortunately,
due to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources by investors and the quest for economic growth in the world in general and Cameroon in particular, mankind is being deprived of these natural resources with much of what is relied for livelihood are at the verge of extinction. Most probably, investors seem not to comply with norms that regulate exploitation activities. It will be of essence at this juncture to examine the relationship that exist between investment laws and environmental laws and attempt to strike a balance to ensure environmental sustainability. We also aim in this study to demonstrate how investment activities have impacted negatively on the environment. This study also seeks to examine the legal mechanisms put in place by the Cameroonian legislator to protect the environment against investment activities and some constraints which cause investors not to effectively comply with them. As a result, this study ends with several strong suggestions that, if properly put into action, would contribute to ensuring the adequate adherence to environmental standards in Cameroon specifically, and globally, aiming for sustainability.