Shell is appealing the Climate Case

You could see it coming. After our historic Climate Case victory, Shell announced that it is going to appeal the verdict. That’s disappointing. We would much rather see Shell put its energy toward the prevention of further catastrophic climate change. What can we expect?

On May 26, 2021, Shell was found guilty by a civil court judge. The energy multinational was ordered to reduce its Co₂ emissions by 45% by 2030 in order to prevent further disastrous climate change. Shell disagreed with the verdict and has decided to appeal.

We saw this step coming, but it does not make the disappointment any less upsetting. Director of Friends of the Earth Netherlands, Donald Pols, stated: “We’re all faced with an enormous task. It’s important for Shell to accept its responsibility and phase out its oil and gas activities. We’d rather see Shell invest its time and energy in achieving its goals as mandated by the court rather than pursue an appeal. This is the only way we can avert catastrophic climate change.”

Climate is also a concern of the courts

Shell has stated from the very beginning of this lawsuit that climate is not a matter for the court. However, the court disagreed. The judges ruled that Shell, as a major cause of climate change, is shirking its responsibilities and must commit to becoming more sustainable.

The reason Shell offers for why its appealing is that it is not constructive to force only one company to become sustainable. Roger Cox, lawyer for Friends of the Earth Netherlands, responded by saying: “The judges rendered a well-considered verdict against Shell on the 26^th of May. We look forward to the appeal with confidence. The science regarding the consequences of and solutions to climate change are becoming clearer by the day. There’s no room in a sustainable future for fossil fuels.”

 Help us beat Shell again

Our victory in May was a turning point in the fight against climate change. We were given hope: we’re on the brink of success when it comes to ending the climate crisis! For the first time in history, a major corporate polluter was held accountable for its part in catastrophic climate change. And we really want to do it one more time, but we need your help. 

Shell is one of the most powerful and richest companies in the world. So we can only conduct a case like this with your help and that of thousands of other  people. The first part of this case was totally paid for by people like you. People who want a better future for our planet and our children.

Help us defeat Shell one more time, support us with a donation.