A Dutch climate activist group launched a new court case against Shell on Tuesday in the Netherlands, demanding that the British energy major immediately end its investments in new oil and gas projects.
Like a number of its peers seeking to capitalise on soaring profits from oil and gas sales following the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Shell has scaled back its renewable energy operations and weakened emissions targets.
It told investors last year it was targeting a 4% to 5% annual increase in liquefied natural gas sales over the next five years and planned to sustain "material" oil output beyond 2030.
"Shell must stop bringing new oil and gas fields into production. This is necessary to protect us from Shell's climate-disrupting activities," Friends of the Earth Netherlands said in the summons it filed against Shell.
Shell called the case "unreasonable" after Friends of the Earth announced plans to file the legal action last year. It said the activist group ignored the global economy's need for fossil fuels and production would simply shift to other companies if Shell were ordered to halt operations.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Activists' Years-Long Court Battle Against Shell
The lawsuit builds on another case brought by the activists that has been making its way through the Dutch courts for several years.
In that case, an appeals judge in 2024 ruled Shell had a responsibility to reduce emissions to protect people from global warming. While the decision scrapped an earlier order setting a specific carbon reduction target for Shell, it did say the company's plans to invest in new oil and gas projects were likely not in line with its obligation to cut emissions.
The appeals court could not rule on Shell's investment plans, however, as these were not part of the demands in that case, which has now moved on to the Dutch Supreme Court.
The formerly Anglo-Dutch company moved its headquarters from The Hague to London in 2022, but has maintained a secondary listing at the Amsterdam stock exchange. Friends of the Earth has said a Dutch court retains jurisdiction, despite Shell's move, as the company's actions cause climate damage in the Netherlands.
A date for a hearing in the new case has not been set yet.
(Reuters - Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Joe Bavier)
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