Dutch court imposes carbon targets on Shell

Friends of the Earth (FOE) Netherlands said May 26 that a Dutch court’s decision to order energy company Shell to cut its emissions is a wake-up call for the fossil fuels industry.

Seven organisations, including FOE and 17,000 co-plaintiffs, brought an action against the Anglo-Dutch major on grounds of climate change. The judge in a landmark ruling has found it liable. Shell said it would appeal the "disappointing" decision.

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In a statement, the company said: "Urgent action is needed on climate change which is why we have accelerated our efforts to become a net-zero emissions energy company by 2050, in step with society, with short-term targets to track our progress. We are investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels. We want to grow demand for these products and scale up our new energy businesses even more quickly."

Shell, which has already made large strides towards a lower carbon energy business, must now reduce its CO₂ emissions by 45% within 10 years. The ruling applies to Shell and its suppliers and covers not only the company's emissions, but also emissions from products burned by its customers – so-called Scope 3.

The 2030 goal set by the court is more ambitious than Shell's target of becoming "a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050." Shell argues the 2050 goal is in line with the Paris climate agreement. But The Hague District Court determined Shell's plans were not adequate.