Shell has confirmed that it will appeal against a landmark Dutch court ruling which called for them to cut carbon emissions faster.
In May 2021 the verdict was reached after Friends of the Earth and over 17,000 others successfully argued that Shell had been aware of the dangerous consequences of CO2 emissions for decades, and that its climate targets did not go far enough.
Ben van Beurden, Shell's chief executive, said the company agreed urgent action is required to reduce carbon emissions, and vowed to speed up the progress of becoming a net zero carbon company. Nevertheless he said Shell would still appeal against the ruling "because a court judgement, against a single company, is not effective".
Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) said the appeal would send the wrong signal and confirm Shell's "lack of commitment" to tackling the global climate crisis, with more serious climate consequences for us all.
The court ruled that Shell has an obligation to cut its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared with 2019 levels.
Milieudefensie lawyer, Roger Cox, said: "The judges have passed a well-considered judgment on Shell in the verdict. We are confident that this judgment will be reaffirmed on appeal. The science is clear on the consequences of and solutions to dangerous climate change".
