Friday the 12th of April was the final day of the appeal in the climate lawsuit against Shell. A big day. Last Friday, all parties got the chance to present their closing remarks to the judge. Who will win?
The science agrees: in order to prevent the worst climate outcomes, worldwide CO2 emissions need to be cut back starting now. That will only happen if we give up our excessive use of coal, oil and gas. And at least develop no morenew oil and gas projects. That’s why we are calling on the judges to order Shell, one of the biggest polluters in the world, to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. Every year, the company emits 8 times more CO2 than all Dutch citizens together. The climate lawsuit is our very last resort in stopping them. That´s why we asked the judge during the last hearing:
“If the court doesn’t take action, who will? And if your court won’t step in now, when will it do so?”
By upholding the verdict of the District Court Shell, but also companies like Shell will have to work harder to stop dangerous climate change. We cannot undo the damage that Shell and other big polluters have done. But the judges do have the power to give the next generation a chance at life on a healthy and liveable planet.
Milieudefensie lawyer Roger Cox concluded his speech with the powerful words of the President of Colombia during COP28:
“We are confronted with a struggle between fossil capital and human life, including the life of our planet. And we must choose a side. And any person, anywhere in the world, would understand that the only stance to take is in favor of life.”
It is clear that Shell, without legal intervention, would avoid its responsibility in causing dangerous climate change. This was made clear during the hearings in the appeal.
Shell refuses any accountability for its customers’ emissions. Shell also believes that it’s the responsibility of the government to take action in combating climate change and therefore not up to the court . Meanwhile, Shell continues to spend huge sums on oil and gas every year and even scaled back its funding for renewable energy in 2023.
Shell’s strategy to continue producing oil and gas is slowing down the transition away from fossil fuels and towards green energy. The company continues to put human lives at risk.
Friday April 12 was the last day of hearings at the appeal in the Milieudefensie vs Shell case. The verdict is expected on 12 November 2024.
Header photo: Milieudefensie campaigners Nine de Pater and Sjoukje van Oosterhout in front of the courthouse in The Hague. © Frank van Beek.
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