- The Dutch appeals court is set to announce its decision in the climate case brought against the oil and gas company Shell PLC in the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Dutch environmental organizations had sued Shell over carbon dioxide emissions and were granted a favourable ruling in 2021. In a landmark decision, the court in The Hague ordered the company to reduce its net carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019.
The civil court in The Hague is now ruling on the appeal.
Never before had a company been forced by a judge to undertake such drastic climate measures. The obligation applied not only to the company’s own emissions but also to those of its suppliers and end users.
At the time of the lawsuit, Shell was headquartered in The Hague.
Shell appealed the ruling, holding the position that the Paris Climate Agreement imposes no obligation on companies to reduce pollutants. The company asserts that it should be for governments, not courts, to mandate such actions.
Additionally, Shell argues that a company cannot be legally held responsible for the carbon dioxide emissions of its customers.
For the lead plaintiff, the environmental organization Milieudefensie, Shell is ‘one of the world’s largest climate polluters.’ They believe companies must also be held accountable for this.
The judgement could have far-reaching implications for other companies as well. There are already several similar cases worldwide brought by environmental activists.
source: dpa
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