Shell chief vows to bolster emissions strategy after court ruling

(The Guardian, 9 Jun 2021) Ben van Beurden pledges to ‘rise to challenge’ after court ordered oil firm to cut global carbon emissions by 45%.

Royal Dutch Shell has vowed to accelerate its strategy towards becoming a net zero emissions business, two weeks after a Dutch court ruling ordered the company to cut its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared with 2019 levels.

Shell’s chief executive, Ben van Beurden, promised to “rise to the challenge” in helping to create a low-carbon energy system, but came out fighting for the Anglo-Dutch oil company he runs, insisting it has been leading the industry in taking responsibility for its carbon emissions.

In a statement on his LinkedIn page, Van Beurden said he was surprised by the court’s verdict and was “disappointed that Shell is being singled out by a ruling that I believe does not help reduce global CO2 emissions”.

He added: “A court ordering one energy company to reduce its emissions – and the emissions of its customers – is not the answer.”

The transition to low-carbon energy, which remained necessary to battle the climate emergency, was “far too big a challenge for one company to tackle”, he wrote, calling for clearer regulations and policies from global governments.

External link

The Guardian, 9 Jun 2021: Shell chief vows to bolster emissions strategy after court ruling

More Related News

climate and environmental litigation

23 Apr 2024: South Korean court hears children's climate change case against government

23 Apr 2024: ‘Children won’t be able to survive’: inter-American court to hear from climate victims

12 Apr 2024: Climate verdict for Swiss women a warning for European states, oil industry

9 Apr 2024: Human rights violated by inaction on climate, ECHR rules in landmark case

9 Apr 2024: Top Europe court to issue landmark climate verdicts

5 Apr 2024: Should big oil be tried for homicide?

2 Apr 2024: International court issues first-ever decision enforcing the right to a healthy environment

21 Mar 2024: Fossil fuel firms could be tried in US for homicide over climate-related deaths, experts say

19 Mar 2024: Tesla EV gigafactory drives Germany’s latest climate justice struggle

12 Mar 2024: Legal complaint filed against Korean industry giants for greenwashing by double-counting emissions cuts

4 Mar 2024: The Supreme Court’s social media case has big implications for climate disinformation, experts warn