ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD

The Hague District Court ruled on May 26, 2021, that Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS) must reduce the CO2 emissions of the Shell group's activities by a net 45% by the end of 2030 relative to 2019 levels. This obligation includes a "best-efforts" requirement to reduce emissions from business relations and end-users. The court based its decision on the unwritten standard of care in the Dutch Civil Code, human rights (specifically the right to life and respect for private and family life), and soft law such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the UN Global Compact, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. While RDS has stated its intention to appeal, the judgment is provisionally enforceable. The ruling suggests that companies whose emissions affect the legal rights of present and future Dutch citizens may be liable for reductions regardless of where the emissions source is located.

• The Hague District Court ordered Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS) to reduce the CO2 emissions of the Shell group's activities by a net 45% by the end of 2030 compared to 2019 levels, including a "best-efforts" obligation to address emissions from business relations and end-users.
• The court's decision was grounded in the unwritten standard of care found in Book 6 Section 162 of the Dutch Civil Code, as well as human rights regarding the right to life and respect for private and family life.
• The interpretation of the unwritten standard of care was informed by soft law, including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• The ruling establishes a precedent where companies may be held liable to reduce emissions if those emissions affect the legal rights of current and future Dutch citizens, regardless of the physical location of the company or the emission source.

APA

Natural Justice (2021). ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Environmental-Court-Cases-Shell.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. 2021. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Environmental-Court-Cases-Shell.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD |date=September 2021 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Environmental-Court-Cases-Shell.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2021environmental, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Environmental-Court-Cases-Shell.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }