A court in the Hague has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared with 2019 levels, in a landmark case brought by Friends of the Earth and over 17,000 co-plaintiffs. The oil giant’s sustainability policy was found to be insufficiently “concrete” by the Dutch court in an unprecedented ruling that will have wide implications for the energy industry and other polluting multinationals. This case is unique because it is the first time a judge has ordered a large polluting corporation to comply with the Paris climate agreement. The court ruled that there were indeed obligations under both Dutch law and the convention and that the company had known for “a long time” about the damage of carbon emissions. Shell had argued that there was no legal basis for the case and that governments alone are responsible for meeting Paris targets.

Source: The Guardian May 26, 2021 14:26 UTC