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As such, it contributes to the growing field of climate litigation. While the decision only has jurisdiction in the
Netherlands, although pertaining to Shell's global operations, it could set a precedent for other environmental lawsuits against other large companies with high emissions that have not taken sufficient steps to reduce their emissions. The impact of the court's decision was considered by legal experts to be strengthened due to its reliance on human rights standards and international measures on climate change.
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The Hague
District Court orderd that Shell's current sustainability policy was insufficiently "concrete", and that its emissions were greater than that of most countries. Due to these factors, the court ordered that Shell must indeed reduce its global emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels;
309:
The case was considered a landmark ruling in environmental law related to climate change: while previous lawsuits against governments have prevailed for enforcing a more effective climate policy, this was considered the first major lawsuit to hold a corporation to the tenets of the Paris
Agreement.
235:
against Shell in April 2019, arguing that Shell should change its business model to reach an emissions reduction target of 45% by 2030 in line with the Paris
Agreement. By failing to change, the plaintiffs argued, Shell had failed to uphold the unwritten duty of care laid down in Book 6 Section 162
198:
is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world; its headquarters are in the United
Kingdom since 2022. Shell is the ninth-largest corporate contributor to global pollution, producing about 2.5% of global emissions. As the Paris Agreement was being developed, Shell evaluated its businesses
120:
The policy, policy intentions and ambitions of Royal Dutch Shell* (hereafter Shell) are incompatible with Shell's reduction obligation. The claimed order to comply with that obligation must be allowed. The order is declared provisionally enforceable. * After losing in the Hague
District Court,
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and other GHGs, anywhere in the world and caused in whatever manner, contributes to this damage and its increase” (insertion added) and that “the (…) circumstance that RDS is not the only partly responsible for tackling dangerous climate change (…) does not absolve RDS of its individual partial
207:
emissions by 30% by 2035, compared to 2016 levels, and by 65% by 2050. So far, in 2022 only 1,5 % of the investments of Shell are to be used for renewables (wind and solar power generation), and with current investment trends Shell's carbon emissions are expected to rise with 4% up to 2030
199:
to determine what it could do to address emissions, but had stated in 2014 that it believed that the Paris targets were unattainable and did not plan to change its business model away from oil and gas. Following the signing of the
Agreement, Shell issued a statement that it would address its CO
193:
in 2015, which aimed to limit the rise in the global average temperature to under 1.5 °C through various milestones at 2050, large corporations operating in signatory countries began evaluating if they could alter operations to meet the targets of the
Agreement. The British multinational
214:
In order to safeguard the temperature limit set out in the Paris
Agreement, global carbon emissions to decrease with 45% in 2030. Given the clear gap between Shell's plans and the targets of the Paris Agreement, seven environmental organisations foundations –
539:
270:
were held in
December 2020. The plaintiffs were required under Dutch law to demonstrate that a viable alternative business model existed for Shell to achieve the suggested 45% reduction goal, and had used the recent transformation of Danish company
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the reduction targets include emissions from its operations and products. The court declared the order provisionally enforceable, meaning that the order has immediate effect, even if one of the parties appeals the ruling.
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is effective policy, investment in technology and changing customer behaviour. None of which will be achieved with this court action. Addressing a challenge this big requires a collaborative and global approach."
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to reduce its global carbon emissions from its 2019 levels by 45% by 2030, relating not only to the emissions from its operations, but also those from the products it sells. It is considered to be the first major
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After losing in the Hague District Court, Shell dropped "Royal Dutch" from its name, and moved its headquarters to London. It said the choice was not due to losing the case.
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351:(24 March 2021) 1 BvR 2656/18, duty on state to reduce carbon emissions faster than government required in Act to protect right to life and environment
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by 2050. Plaintiffs considered Shell's pledge to be inadequate as the company would still fail to meet the Paris Agreement goals.
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from fossil fuels to renewables as a viable example. During the trial, Shell issued a pledge in February 2021 to be
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EWHC 1233 (Ch), directors' duties to plan to divest fossil fuels in light of Paris Agreement and right to life
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We will continue to focus on these efforts and fully expect to appeal today's disappointing court decision
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responsibility to contribute to the fight against dangerous climate change according to its ability.
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343:(20 December 2019) duty of state to cut emissions in line with Paris Agreement and right to life
530:"Climate change actions against corporations: Milieudefensie et al. v. Royal Dutch Shell plc"
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232:
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335:(2015) Case No. 2 O 285/15 duty of power company in tort to compensate for climate damage
8:
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T Wilson, 'Shell investors back moving HQ from Netherlands to UK' (10 December 2021)
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Shell appealled the ruling. The hearings of the appeal case are not yet scheduled.
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802:"Reactie Shell op uitspraak klimaatzaak / Shell response to climate case verdict"
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Shell dropped "Royal Dutch" from its name, and moved its headquarters to London.
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563:"Shell to expand gas business despite pledge to speed up net zero carbon drive"
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35:
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Rechtbank Den Haag 26 May 2021, C/09/571932 / HA ZA 19-379 (engelse versie),
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NZCA 552 duty of oil and power companies in tort to pay for climate damage
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254:. Shell stated in response to the summons that it was doing its part to
227:, Fossielvrij, Waddenvereniging, Both ENDS, Jongeren Milieu Actief, and
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447:"Court orders Royal Dutch Shell to cut carbon emissions by 45% by 2030"
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228:
195:
169:
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39:
231: – and 17,379 individual claimants in the Netherlands filed a
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407:"Shell in court over claims it hampered fossil fuels phase-out"
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emissions, releasing a plan that called for reductions of its
364:
McGaughey and Davies v Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd
852:
Rechtbank Den Haag 26 May 2021, C/09/571932 / HA ZA 19-379,
731:"Court orders Royal Dutch Shell to cut net emissions by 45%"
665:"Shell: Netherlands court orders oil giant to cut emissions"
479:"Milieudefensie dagvaardt Shell in rechtszaak om uitstoot"
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669:
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and a group of other NGO's against the oil corporation,
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in 2021 related to efforts by several NGO's to curtail
698:"Shell ordered by Dutch Court to cut carbon emissions"
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438:
436:
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1074:
People of the State of New York v. Exxon Mobil Corp.
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1098:BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
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985:State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda Foundation
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110:Larisa Alwin, Irene Kroft and Michiel Harmsen
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1012:Asghar Leghari vs. Federation of Pakistan
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160:. It was brought by the Dutch branch of
18:Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell
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356:Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd
14:
1131:Carbon emissions in the European Union
1113:
728:
444:
404:
870:
770:emissions in landmark climate ruling"
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602:
561:Ambrose, Jillian (11 February 2021).
258:, and that "What will accelerate the
189:Following the global adoption of the
1136:Climate change in the European Union
542:from the original on 19 January 2021
405:Boffey, Daniel (30 November 2020).
252:European Convention on Human Rights
24:
993:Milieudefensie v Royal Dutch Shell
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266:Hearings at the district court at
129:Milieudefensie v Royal Dutch Shell
25:
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846:
696:MacFarlene, Sarah (26 May 2021).
168:. In May 2021, the court ordered
816:from the original on 27 May 2021
782:from the original on 26 May 2021
741:from the original on 26 May 2021
710:from the original on 26 May 2021
677:from the original on 26 May 2021
621:from the original on 26 May 2021
575:from the original on 24 May 2021
491:from the original on 27 May 2021
459:from the original on 26 May 2021
419:from the original on 17 May 2021
1082:Connecticut v. ExxonMobil Corp.
831:
766:"Court orders Shell to slash CO
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657:
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1031:McGaughey and Davies v USS Ltd
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633:
609:emissions in watershed ruling"
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522:
503:
445:Boffey, Daniel (26 May 2021).
375:, a similar 2024 case In Italy
340:Urgenda v State of Netherlands
291:The Court said the following:
242:(Dutch Civil Code) as well as
13:
1:
603:Brian, Stuart (26 May 2021).
1058:Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corp.
764:Zindy, Hanna (26 May 2021).
729:Corder, Mike (26 May 2021).
7:
605:"Shell ordered to reduce CO
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10:
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912:Grande-Synthe climate case
487:(in Dutch). 5 April 2019.
158:multinational corporations
1141:Climate change litigation
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898:Climate change litigation
175:climate change litigation
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1066:Juliana v. United States
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295:... every emission of CO
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154:carbon dioxide emissions
1156:2021 in the environment
1126:2021 in the Netherlands
861:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5339
854:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5337
703:The Wall Street Journal
652:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5339
640:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5337
95:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5339
86:ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5337
27:Dutch legal case (2021)
302:
256:address climate change
509:Burgerlijk Wetboek -
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219:(the Dutch branch of
69:26 May 2021
1050:Massachusetts v. EPA
948:Climate Case Ireland
233:class-action lawsuit
221:Friends of the Earth
162:Friends of the Earth
930:Neubauer v. Germany
751:The Washington Post
538:. 13 January 2021.
516:27 May 2021 at the
511:Book 6 Section 162
348:Neubauer v Germany
239:Burgerlijk Wetboek
140:case heard by the
58:District court of
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966:Greenpeace v. Eni
810:Royal Dutch Shell
372:Greenpeace v. Eni
260:energy transition
208:compared to 2019
177:ruling against a
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16:(Redirected from
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1121:2021 in case law
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818:. Retrieved
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749:– via
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623:. Retrieved
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568:The Guardian
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452:The Guardian
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305:Significance
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132:(2021) is a
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29:
977:Netherlands
546:10 December
495:10 December
179:corporation
150:Netherlands
1115:Categories
484:NOS Nieuws
244:articles 2
225:Greenpeace
91:Transcript
73:2021-05-26
863:(English)
806:shell.com
654:(English)
268:The Hague
229:ActionAid
166:Shell plc
146:The Hague
97:(English)
60:The Hague
1004:Pakistan
814:Archived
780:Archived
739:Archived
708:Archived
675:Archived
619:Archived
573:Archived
540:Archived
514:Archived
489:Archived
457:Archived
417:Archived
320:See also
283:Judgment
277:net-zero
138:tort law
38:et al v
941:Ireland
922:Germany
856:(Dutch)
642:(Dutch)
250:of the
236:of the
148:in the
71: (
66:Decided
1101:(2021)
1093:(2020)
1085:(2020)
1077:(2018)
1069:(2015)
1061:(2008)
1053:(2007)
1034:(2022)
1015:(2015)
996:(2021)
988:(2019)
969:(2024)
950:(2020)
933:(2020)
914:(2021)
905:France
820:26 May
786:26 May
745:26 May
714:26 May
681:26 May
625:26 May
579:26 May
463:26 May
423:26 May
326:EU law
273:Ørsted
210:levels
958:Italy
380:Notes
196:Shell
185:Facts
170:Shell
55:Court
40:Shell
822:2021
788:2021
747:2021
716:2021
683:2021
627:2021
581:2021
548:2021
497:2021
465:2021
425:2021
246:and
136:and
82:ECLI
775:CNN
670:BBC
223:),
156:by
144:of
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