Shell forced to drastically reduce CO2 emissions after court order
Friends of the Earth wins climate case against Shell.
Friends of the Earth wins climate case against Shell.
As a result of legal action brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) together with 17,000 co-plaintiffs and six other organisations, the court in The Hague ruled that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% within 10 years. This historic verdict has enormous consequences for Shell and other big polluters globally.
The court ruled that the Shell group is responsible for its own CO2 emissions and those of its suppliers.
Rachel Kennerley, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland said: "Anyone who thinks we should protect our one, precious planet and its people is jubilant today. This ruling confirms what we already knew, that global polluters cannot continue their devastating operations because the costs are too high, and they have been that way for too long.
“Today an historic line has been drawn, no more spin, no more greenwashing, big oil is over. The future is in clean renewables. This is also for the urgent attention of the UK government, because real emissions reductions are required urgently, not offsetting or other smoke and mirrors distractions.”
Roger Cox, lawyer for Friends of the Earth Netherlands, said: "This is a turning point in history. This case is unique because it is the first time a judge has ordered a large polluting corporation to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. This ruling may also have major consequences for other big polluters."
The ruling from the court in The Hague will have major ramifications internationally.
A Shell spokesman said: “We are investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels. We want to grow demand for these products and scale up our new energy businesses even more quickly.
“We will continue to focus on these efforts and fully expect to appeal today’s disappointing court decision.”
Shell will be speaking at the Energy Transition Summit today! Register now to join us live and put your questions to them to find out their strategy for a net zero future.
