Oil Court overturns ruling: Shell not obliged to reduce CO2 emissions
A court in The Hague has ruled that Shell does not have to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions, which is seen as a success for the energy company.
12.11.2024, 09:18
SDA
The British energy giant Shell has achieved a significant legal success. On Tuesday, a civil court in The Hague overturned an earlier ruling that obliged the company to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions. The lawsuit brought by environmentalists was dismissed, which is considered a victory for Shell.
In 2021, the judges had ruled at first instance that Shell had to reduce its CO2 emissions by a net 45 percent compared to 2019. This obligation also included indirect emissions from suppliers and customers. Shell, which was still based in The Hague at the time, appealed against this ruling.
The judges have now declared that although Shell has a responsibility in international climate protection, no specific percentage for the reduction of CO2 emissions can be imposed. A reduction in natural gas production could lead to increased coal use globally, which would harm the climate even more.
Shell has already announced that it aims to reduce its emissions by 50 percent by 2030. The court saw this as a positive approach and ruled that no further obligations were necessary.
The environmental organization Milieudefensie, which acted as lead plaintiff, plans to appeal. It considers Shell to be one of the biggest climate polluters in the world. The current ruling could also have an impact on other similar proceedings dealing with the responsibility of companies in climate protection.
