The Hague, Nov 12 (EFE).- The oil company Shell on Tuesday won an appeal against a Dutch court ruling asking the company to reduce CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2030, in line with international climate agreements.
This development signifies the annulment of a 2021 ruling considered a landmark victory in the climate struggle.
In the appeal hearing, the court observed that Shell was not exempt from fighting global warming and products from such companies have contributed to the climate problem.
However, it underlined that the extent of these emission cuts could not be determined and imposed solely on Shell.
In 2021, the nonprofit Milieudefensie had managed to win the lawsuit against Shell, which demanded that the oil company reduce its CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2019, a ruling that had a great impact internationally.
Shell left the Netherlands shortly after that ruling and moved its head office to London, becoming a solely British, not half-Dutch, company.
The judges concluded Tuesday that Shell is obliged to reduce its CO2 emissions, as one of the polluting companies in the world, but could not specify a specific percentage for that reduction, rejecting Milieudefensie’s demands.
“The court of appeal denied the claims of Milieudefensie because the court was unable to establish that the social standard of care entails an obligation for Shell to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45 percent, or some other percentage,” the court said in a statement.
The court further said it deemed an obligation for Shell to sharply reduce its emissions by a particular percentage as “ineffective” because other companies could step in to take over that trade and this would eventually not result in a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Milieudefensie chief Donald Pols rued the revocation of the initial ruling, but promised that the nonprofit would continue to take on big polluters such as Shell.
“It is a setback for us, the climate movement and millions of people around the world who are worried. But anyone who knows us a little knows that we never give up,” said Pols, whose NGO initiated this litigation in 2018 together with six organizations and the support of more than 17,000 citizens.
“It is encouraging that the judge determines that Shell is responsible for reducing emissions and that companies must also respect human rights. It is a marathon and not a sprint and the race is not yet run,” he said. EFE
ir/sc
