Shell Wins Appeal Against Landmark Ruling That Ordered It To Slash 45% Of Its Emissions By 2030

A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday ruled in favor of oil giant Shell and overturned a landmark 2021 ruling by a lower court, which had ordered the company to sharply reduce its carbon emissions by the end of this decade, a major blow to activists pursuing legal measures to force companies to act on climate change.

Shell had filed an appeal against the 2021 ruling, which ordered the company to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 45% compared to its 2019 levels by 2030—the ruling covered emissions both from its operations and the fossil fuels it sold.