Shell has won an appeal against a landmark climate ruling in the Netherlands that would have forced the oil and gas giant to radically cut back its greenhouse gas emissions.
The appeals court in The Hague dismissed the entire 2021 ruling on Tuesday, saying Shell was already on its way to meet required targets for its own emissions. The court added that it was unclear if demands for Shell to reduce emissions caused by the use of its products would help the fight against climate change.
The original ruling had ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45pc by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, including those caused by the use of its products.
The initial judgement was seen as a significant blow to both Shell and the broader oil and gas industry as it was the first time a company had been legally obliged to align its business with the UN’s 2015 Paris climate accords.
Friends of the Earth brought the initial case in 2019 alongside other campaign groups and Dutch citizens.
The appeals court did agree with the climate activists that Shell has an obligation to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to protect people from global warming.