Take the example of the Nigerian oil industry. Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa, has seen its petroleum sector generate billions in revenue over the past few decades. Yet, about 40% of Nigerians live below the poverty line. Shell, which has operated in Nigeria for over 60 years, has been accused of everything from environmental devastation to human rights abuses. The Niger Delta, once teeming with biodiversity, is now a toxic wasteland due to repeated oil spills.

As Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa once said, “The environment is man’s first right; without a clean environment, man cannot exist.” He said these words before being hanged in 1995 by a military regime that had the backing of oil companies.