- Today, the Court of Appeal of The Hague overturned the District Court of The Hague’s 2021 ruling in the case brought against Shell plc by Milieudefensie, other NGOs and a group of private individuals.
- The plaintiffs’ argument outlines how Shell’s long knowledge of climate change, misleading statements on climate change, and inadequate action to reduce climate change help support a finding of Shell’s unlawful endangerment of Dutch citizens and actions constituting hazardous negligence.
- The applicants also sought a ruling from the court that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels and to zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Read more
“We are pleased with the court’s decision, which we believe is the right one for the global energy transition, the Netherlands and our company,” said Shell plc Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan.
“Our target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 remains at the heart of Shell’s strategy and is transforming our business. This includes continuing our work to halve emissions from our operations by 20301. We are making good progress in our strategy to deliver more value with less emissions.”
Shell adds that the past few years have highlighted the critical importance of secure and affordable energy for economies and people’s lives. At the same time, the world must meet growing demand for energy while tackling the urgent challenge of climate change. There has been significant progress in the transition to low-carbon energy where governments have introduced policies to encourage investment and drive changes in demand.
“As Shell has stated previously, a court ruling would not reduce overall customer demand for products such as petrol and diesel for cars, or for gas to heat and power homes and businesses. It would do little to reduce emissions, as customers would take their business elsewhere. We believe that smart policies from governments, along with investment and action across all sectors, will drive the progress towards net-zero emissions that we all want to see,” the company concluded.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
