Shell ordered to cut emissions by 45% by 2030

The Hague’s District Court has ordered Shell to act immediately to cut its net carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 – five years earlier than the company had planned.

Shell’s current climate commitment includes reducing the net carbon intensity of its energy products by 45% by 2035, with an end goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. However, the Dutch court ruled that this emissions strategy is not concrete enough.

The CO2 emissions of Shell, its suppliers and customers are greater than those of many countries. However, Shell’s climate plans are more modest than those of its main rival BP.

Analysts believe that this is a landmark ruling for the global oil industry and notes that it is also the first time a company has been legally obliged to align its operations with the Paris Agreement.

It is also good news for global action against climate change. Environmental group 350.org noted that the decision sends a strong message to fossil fuel companies, banks and pension funds worldwide.

This message was reinforced in the US at the same time, as shareholders of oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron also voted to hold the companies more accountable for their contribution to climate change.

“It’s interesting to see how corporate shareholders and the courts can enhance the focus on the fight against climate change,” says Lodewijk Nell of EcoMetrix Africa. “It raises many questions, such as how this global trend will affect local fossil fuel giants such as Sasol and Eskom and whether South African shareholders have enough sway to hold these organisations accountable if they do not meet their climate-related emission goals.”

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In Post Shell Image Credit: Jethro Carullo via Unsplash.com