Dutch judges ruled Tuesday against an appeal by climate groups who said oil giant Shell was not doing enough to curb its greenhouse gas emissions, striking down a landmark judgement three years ago.
“The court’s final judgement is that Milieudefensie’s claims cannot be granted. The Appeals Court is therefore quashing the original judgement,” judge Carla Joustra told the Hague Appeals Court.
The ruling at the Hague Appeals Court comes as governments of some 200 countries gather at the COP29 talks in Azerbaijan to discuss the future of the planet including a transition to clean energy.
The Hague District Court said three years ago that Shell must reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030, as it was contributing to the “dire” effects of climate change.
That ruling was seen as a historic victory for climate change campaigners including Milieudefensie — the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth — and six other groups who brought the case.
It was also the first time a company had been made to align its policy with the 2015 Paris climate change accords.
But on Tuesday, judges disagreed with climate groups, saying “Shell is already doing what is expected” of them.
Shell, which called litigation “ineffective” to address climate change, has appealed the 2021 ruling, saying it was already taking enough actions to curb its greenhouse gas emissions.
“We do not believe that a court decision against a company is the right solution for the energy transition,” the group said on its website.
Tuesday’s ruling follows four days of hearings in April, during which Shell and environmental groups put forth their arguments before the judges.
“This judgement could be a pivotal point for the climate,” Milieudefensie said on its website ahead of the case.
“For years we’ve put pressure on Shell and other large-scale polluters who are doing too little for the climate.”
“If they don’t take action, we won’t be able to stop climate change,” Milieudefensie said.
Shell has said it was investing some “10 to 15 billion dollars between 2023-25 in low-carbon energy solutions,” representing 23 percent of its total capital expenditure.
The 2015 Paris accords committed all nations to cut carbon emissions to limit warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels and encouraged them to aim for 1.5 degrees.
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