Reacting to the news that a Dutch court has overturned a landmark
2019 ruling ordering Shell to reduce its net carbon dioxide
emissions by 45% by 2030, Philip Evans, Campaigner at
Greenpeace UK, said:
“This ruling is a setback for people everywhere dealing with
the climate chaos fueled by Shell's reckless polluting. But
around the world, the fossil fuel industry is facing a tidal wave
of lawsuits and legal challenges to hold them accountable for
their role in the climate crisis.
“Across the North Sea, Shell will be in court again this
morning when a Scottish judge will decide whether to allow
Jackdaw and Rosebank, two huge - and unlawful - UK oil and gas
projects, to continue. Whether in the courts or in the streets,
Greenpeace and the global climate movement will keep fighting
until Shell and the rest of the industry stops drilling and
starts paying for the damage they are doing to people and the
planet.”
- ENDS -
Notes to editors:
-
While the judge did not uphold the 2019 verdict, they also
stated that Shell needs to respect human rights and has a
duty to reduce its GHG emissions. Shell's investment in new
oil and gas fields may be at odds with that duty.
-
A judicial review hearing brought by Greenpeace against
two new North Sea oil developments, Jackdaw (operated by
Shell) and Rosebank (operated by Equinor and Ithaca) will
begin at the Scottish Court of Session in Edinburgh at 10am
GMT this morning. It is expected to last four days.
-
Shell, Equinor and Ithaca are expected to concede that
the UK government made a legal error in granting them
licenses to develop the fields, in light of a landmark UK
Supreme Court ruling which ruled that environmental impact
assessments for oil and gas production facilities had to
consider the effects of burning the products. The companies
are expected to argue that the projects should continue on
financial grounds.!
