Dutch court to decide on Shell’s appeal over climate action ruling
THE HAGUE – A Dutch court is set to deliver its verdict on Tuesday regarding Shell’s appeal after the oil giant was accused by seven environmental NGOs of failing to implement a 2021 ruling that ordered it to align with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
In 2021, the court in The Hague had directed the Anglo-Dutch company to cut its net CO2 emissions by at least 45% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, citing Shell’s role in driving climate change and its catastrophic impacts.
Shell appealed the ruling, arguing that the NGOs’ demands lacked a legal basis and that decisions of this nature should be made by governments, not courts. “We do not believe that a court ruling against a company is the right approach to the energy transition,” the company stated on its website.
The verdict follows four days of hearings held in April, according to Milieudefensie, the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth, which held a press conference about the case.
After the ruling, both parties will have the option of appealing to the Court of Cassation, which would focus on procedural matters rather than the factual evidence presented by both sides, Milieudefensie explained.
The court’s original order requires Shell to reduce greenhouse gas emissions not only from its operations but also from the products it sells.
