13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice

A statement by Donald Pols of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands regarding a Dutch court ruling on 29 January 2021 that held Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary accountable for oil spills in the Niger Delta.

• On 29 January 2021, a court in the Netherlands ruled that Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary breached their duty of care by failing to take all necessary actions to prevent damage from oil leaks. This is the first time survivors of Shell's pollution have secured justice and compensation in the company's home country.
• The legal process for the Nigerian farmers took 13 years, largely due to procedural debates and difficulties in accessing Shell's key documents and proving the responsibility of Shell HQ for its subsidiary.
• Oil pollution in the Niger Delta, linked to Shell's presence since the 1950s, has caused severe health issues for hundreds of thousands of Ogoni people and reduced life expectancy by ten years compared to the rest of Nigeria.
• The author argues for stronger European laws on corporate due diligence, parent company liability, and transparency to ensure companies are held accountable for human rights and environmental abuses overseas without requiring decade-long legal battles.

APA

Pols, D. (2021). 13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/13-years-is-too-long-for-victims-of-shells-oil-spills-to-wait-for-justice/

Chicago

Pols, Donald. 13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice. Friends of the Earth International, 2021. https://www.foei.org/13-years-is-too-long-for-victims-of-shells-oil-spills-to-wait-for-justice/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Pols |first1=Donald |title=13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=11 February 2021 |url=https://www.foei.org/13-years-is-too-long-for-victims-of-shells-oil-spills-to-wait-for-justice/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{pols2021years, author = {Pols, Donald}, title = {{13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/13-years-is-too-long-for-victims-of-shells-oil-spills-to-wait-for-justice/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }