Shell ordered to slash emissions 45% by 2030 in historic court ruling

(EurActiv, 27 May 2021) A Dutch court has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its emissions 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, in a landmark ruling. EURACTIV’s media partner, Climate Home News, reports.

It is the first ruling ordering a company to reduce its emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. The case was heard by the district court in the Hague, where Shell is headquartered.

Campaigners say the outcome sets a precedent for future lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry and could unleash a wave of climate litigation against big polluters.

Seven environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth the Netherlands, also known as Milieudefensie, filed the lawsuit against Shell in April last year, on behalf of more than 17,000 Dutch citizens.

Campaigners argued that Shell is violating its international climate obligations and threatening the lives of these citizens by continuing to invest billions every year in expanding its oil and gas production.

The judge ruled that Shell’s current climate strategy is “not concrete enough and full of caveats,” adding that the oil major has a legal obligation to reduce its emissions in line with international climate goals.

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EurActiv, 27 May 2021: Shell ordered to slash emissions 45% by 2030 in historic court ruling