Shell wins landmark climate change court challenge

Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr +
  • Today, the Court of Appeal of The Hague overturned the District Court of The Hagueโ€™s 2021 ruling in the case brought against Shell plc by Milieudefensie, other NGOs and a group of private individuals.
  • The plaintiffsโ€™ argument outlines how Shellโ€™s long knowledge of climate change, misleading statements on climate change, and inadequate action to reduce climate change help support a finding of Shellโ€™s unlawful endangerment of Dutch citizens and actions constituting hazardous negligence.
  • ย The applicants also soughtย ย 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

โ€œWe are pleased with the courtโ€™s decision, which we believe is the right one for the global energy transition, the Netherlands and our company,โ€ said Shell plc Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan.

โ€œOur target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 remains at the heart of Shellโ€™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.โ€

Shell adds that the past few years haveย highlighted the critical importance of secure and affordable energy for economies and peopleโ€™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

Share.

Leave A Reply

About Author

Green Building Africa promotes the need for net carbon zero buildings and cities in Africa. We are fiercely independent and encourage outlying thinkers to contribute to the #netcarbonzero movement. Climate change is upon us and now is the time to react in a more diverse and broader approach to sustainability in the built environment. We challenge architects, property developers, urban planners, renewable energy professionals and green building specialists. We also challenge the funding houses and regulators and the role they play in facilitating investment into green projects. Lastly, we explore and investigate new technology and real-time data to speed up the journey in realising a net carbon zero environment for our children.

Copyright Green Building Africa 2024.