**Dr. Qasim Muhammad Al-Hims**
College of Law, Almustaqbal University
In recent years, the environment has faced numerous threats that endanger the lives of living organisms, including humans. These threats largely stem from the harmful effects of industrial machinery, which can cause injuries or fatalities. Many Iraqi legislations have addressed this issue, including the Iraqi Investment Law No. 13 of 2006. Article 14 of this law outlines the obligations of investors, which include preserving environmental safety and adhering to the quality control standards applied in Iraq, as well as internationally recognized systems in this field, in addition to laws concerning safety, health, public order, and the values of Iraqi society.
The importance of environmental protection becomes particularly evident when discussing investment projects due to the nature of these projects, which rely heavily on machinery and equipment that consume fuel—often not environmentally friendly and potentially harmful. This necessitates precautions to mitigate the negative effects of such machinery.
The legal obligation of investors to preserve environmental safety, as explicitly stated alongside their other responsibilities, is commendable. In this regard, it is proposed that the National Investment Commission issue detailed regulations that align with these obligations. Such regulations should ensure the protection of the environment from harm and pollution while maintaining sufficient strictness to obligate investors to comply, yet without imposing undue burdens on the execution of their investment projects.