Climate campaigners start new trial against Shell: Stop oil and gas!

Climate campaigners start new trial against Shell: Stop oil and gas!

On May 15, 2025, Dutch climate activists from the organization Milieudefensie initiated a new legal dispute against the energy company Shell. The aim of the lawsuit is to prohibit Shell from developing and exploiting new oil and gas fields. Milieudefensie director Donald Pols said Shell must immediately stop developing new fossil fuels to curb the catastrophic climate impacts of fossil fuel extraction. The trial is expected to attract significant attention as the plaintiffs focus on Shell's climate responsibility.

This new lawsuit follows a previous lawsuit in 2019 in which Milieudefensie demanded that Shell reduce carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared to 2019. In 2021, a court in The Hague ruled in favor of Milieudefensie and required Shell to implement this emissions reduction. However, this decision was challenged again on appeal in November 2024 and ultimately overturned. The appeal court found that there were no specific, enforceable emissions reduction targets for Shell, strengthening the company's position in this area.

Shell's responsibility

The appeal judgment also emphasized that although companies have a general obligation to reduce emissions, they are not bound to specific targets, such as the 45% target. Shell argued that decisions on such reduction targets should not be within the jurisdiction of the courts. At the same time, it was established that protection against dangerous climate change is considered a human right. This leaves room for the interpretation that Shell remains under pressure to take responsibility despite the overturning of the stricter ruling.

Milieudefensie's current lawsuit is aimed specifically at the development of new gas and oil fields and refers to the judges' statements in the current appeal process. These highlighted Shell's special responsibility for climate protection. The case is being heard again in the Netherlands, where Shell is based. The company has not yet responded to the new lawsuit.

After the successful appeal process, Dutch Shell boss Frans Everts expressed confidence about the further course of the legal dispute. Milieudefensie plans to strengthen its case and possibly go to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands to enforce its demands.

These lawsuits are part of a broader movement to hold companies accountable for their environmental impact. Milieudefensie thus underlines the urgency of taking action in the face of the climate crisis and calls on large energy producers to take responsibility.

For detailed information about the lawsuits and legal developments, see the articles from the shareholder and HRLC be consulted.