Oil leader secures case against climate demonstrators
Date
11/16/2024 8:37:59 AM
(MENAFN) Shell has won a major legal victory in the Netherlands, as an appeals court in The Hague overturned a 2021 ruling that required the oil giant to sharply reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The case, originally filed by environmental groups including Friends of the Earth and several individuals, accused Shell of failing to take adequate action to combat global warming. In 2019, the activists argued that Shell had a legal obligation to cut its emissions, and two years later, a Dutch court ordered the company to reduce its carbon footprint by 45% by 2030, based on 2019 levels. The ruling also applied to emissions caused by the use of Shell’s products, such as fuel combustion in vehicles.
The court's original decision was grounded in the global climate targets set by the 2016 Paris Agreement, which calls for a 45% reduction in emissions to limit global temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, the appeals court dismissed the ruling, acknowledging Shell's ongoing efforts to cut emissions and questioning whether forcing reductions tied to the use of Shell's products would meaningfully impact climate change. In its statement, Shell reaffirmed its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and cutting emissions from its operations by half by 2030.
Friends of the Earth called the verdict a setback for climate justice but vowed to continue challenging major polluters. The environmental group now has three months to appeal to the Dutch Supreme Court, which is expected to take up to 18 months to deliver a final ruling. Shell, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, has been a major contributor to global emissions, accounting for at least 1% of global greenhouse gases between 2016 and 2023, according to the Carbon Majors database.
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