Words matter

11 April 2019 By Ed Cropley Follow @edwardcropley

Britain’s Supreme Court says Vedanta can be sued in London for pollution offences in the African state. Multinationals have tended to trumpet corporate social responsibility at head office, while ignoring sins at subsidiary level. Whatever the case’s outcome, that will change.

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Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on April 10 that nearly 2,000 Zambian villagers could sue UK-headquartered mining company Vedanta in the English courts for alleged pollution in the southern African country.

The villagers allege that their land and livelihoods were destroyed by chemicals flowing from the Nchanga copper mine, owned by Vedanta through its Konkola Copper Mines subsidiary.

The court decided that Vedanta, which delisted from London last year, was responsible for the actions of its subsidiary and that the villagers might not have access to “substantial justice” in Zambia for a large and complex case.

Shares in Vedanta, the parent company owned by Indian mining magnate Anil Agarwal, fell 4.3 percent at 0656 GMT on April 11 to 180.70 rupees.

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