A Dutch appeals court has ruled that Shell is not obligated to significantly reduce its carbon emissions by 2030, overturning a previous verdict that imposed strict emissions cuts on the British oil and gas giant. The ruling, handed down on Tuesday, comes after Shell appealed a 2021 decision that required the company to slash its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, including emissions from its operations and energy products.
The Hague Court of Appeal stated that while Shell must limit its CO2 emissions to protect the planet from climate change, there is insufficient consensus in climate science on a specific reduction percentage for individual companies like Shell. As a result, the court dismissed the previous ruling, noting that Shell is already working to reduce its own emissions (scope 1 and 2) and that targeting the larger emissions from product use (scope 3) would not be effective.
Shell's CEO, Wael Sawan, welcomed the court's decision, stating that it is in line with the global energy transition and the company's goals. However, environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands, which brought the case against Shell, expressed disappointment with the outcome. The group's director, Donald Pols, emphasized the importance of holding major polluters accountable in the fight against climate change and indicated that they would continue to challenge companies like Shell.
It remains unclear whether Friends of the Earth Netherlands will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. The case has sparked debate on the responsibility of large corporations in addressing climate change and the role of legal action in holding them to account.
