Shell wins appeal against landmark Dutch climate ruling

Oil and gas company Shell on Tuesday won its appeal against a landmark climate ruling in the Netherlands, which in 2021 ordered the oil and gas company to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The appeals court in The Hague dismissed the entire ruling, saying Shell was already on its way to meet required targets for its own emissions, and it was unclear if demands on it to reduce emissions caused by the use of its products would help the fight against climate change.

The ruling came in parallel to the ongoing COP29, which aims to reduce emissions and fossil fuels. 

The original ruling had ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, including those caused by the use of its products.

The court did agree with the climate activists that brought the case in 2019 that Shell has an obligation to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to protect people from global warming.