A Dutch court overturned a ruling ordering the energy company Shell to cut its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Shell argued that requiring one company to reduce emissions will not reduce the demand for oil globally.
The Hague overturned the District Court of The Hague’s 2021 ruling in the case brought against Shell in 2019 by Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands, ActionAid NL, Both ENDS, Fossielvrij NL, Greenpeace NL, Young Friends of the Earth NL, Waddenvereniging, and more than 17,000 citizen plaintiffs who sought a ruling that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
“As Shell has stated previously, a court ruling would not reduce overall customer demand for products such as petrol and diesel for cars, or for gas to heat and power homes and businesses. It would do little to reduce emissions, as customers would take their business elsewhere. We believe that smart policies from governments, along with investment and action across all sectors, will drive the progress towards net-zero emissions that we all want to see,” the company said in a statement.
