It was a groundbreaking ruling that a Dutch court made three years ago in May: the oil company Shell was obliged to reduce CO₂ emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2019. That not only includes emissions from its natural gas and crude oil production, the judges said, but also includes the fuels sold to customers, such as gas stations and airlines. The consequence of the decision would likely mean a significant reduction in production volumes by 2030 - and thus the beginning of the end for Shell's fossil fuel business model. But a final decision has not yet been made.

Seven environmental groups sued, supported by over 17,000 Dutch citizens as co-plaintiffs. “The people against Shell,” was the motto of the trial. The renowned environmental lawyer Remo Klinger called the first verdict in SPIEGEL “historic”. A cheer went through the climate protection scene. At Shell, however, the shock was deep: the company fired the responsible law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and looked for new lawyers (currently the British legal consultancy Clifford Chance). The appeal process started this week and will continue until next Friday. The verdict is expected in the second half of the year.

Shell and its new lawyers hope to overturn the verdict. A civil judge is "simply not authorized to make judgments that have national and political consequences," lawyer Daan Lunsingh Scheurleer told the AFP news agency before the proceedings opened on Tuesday. Shell's Netherlands boss, Frans Everts, assured that the company believes "urgent action is necessary for climate protection." But the court hearing is not the right way to get there. The ruling would simply lead to customers switching to other suppliers.

It becomes clear again and again that the oil company has no plans to change its business model. Instead of reducing gas and oil production volumes, he even wants to develop new fields in the coming years. The funding is more lucrative than ever: The company recently made record profits, reaching $42 billion in 2022. This is one of the reasons why the group cut its own emissions targets in mid-March: less should be reduced by 2030, and the 2035 target of minus 45 percent was removed entirely. In any case, the goals only related to the company's own emissions - not to sales.

Environmental associations also repeatedly point out, citing studies and official reports, that the situation has worsened since 2021. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas consumption must fall by more than 75 percent by 2050 in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. A report from last November warned against pushing ahead with even more natural gas projects; States should also think carefully about whether they support new liquid gas infrastructure. "Anyone who continues to invest in new gas projects risks throwing their money out the window," said agency head Fatih Birol.

The facts speak against Shell

At the same time, most international oil and gas multinationals simply carry on. They are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the development of new deposits - despite record temperatures worldwide and the promises of many countries to become greenhouse gas neutral in the medium term. The “Global Oil & Gas Exit List” from the environmental protection organization Urgewald lists the companies’ plans. TotalEnergies as well as Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil, BP, Petronas, Chevron and Repsol are all pursuing expansion projects in more than two dozen different countries.

Environmental group Milieudefensie lawyer Roger Cox said the scientific basis for the lawsuit against Shell was still being strengthened. »Facts count in court. That's why I'm confident that we can convince the judges again that Shell must act within the framework of international climate agreements." Regardless of the outcome of the appeal process in the summer, another appeal to the country's Supreme Court is expected.

In the coming week there will be further lawsuits in the context of climate protection, they are directed against the governments of various countries: On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights will decide on three climate lawsuits, including from young people from Portugal and senior citizens from Switzerland. They accuse governments of violating their human rights with negligent climate policies and are calling for stricter climate targets.

The number of climate lawsuits has been increasing for several years (see Figure 1). Environmental and climate-oriented lawyers as well as citizens and environmental associations have discovered the judiciary as a weapon in climate protection. In doing so, they are drawing attention to the climate crisis - and putting politicians and CEOs under pressure. It is not unlikely that they will be successful, at least in the long term.

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The topics of the week

  • Successes in Brazil and Colombia: Destruction of tropical jungles is declining slightly.


    A forest area the size of North Rhine-Westphalia was destroyed worldwide last year, slightly less than in 2022. In addition to deforestation, fires contributed to the loss. One country was particularly affected.

  • Climate change in Germany: 18th month in a row is too warm


    Since 1881, temperatures in Germany in March have never been as high as in 2024. February had already set a record. And April also starts off summery: almost 30 degrees are expected at the weekend.

  • Billions for factory farming: Climate-damaging foods receive the most EU subsidies. 


    Schnitzel, butter and liver sausage are not only unhealthy, their production also generates endless greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, more than 80 percent of EU agricultural subsidies go to this food.

  • Sustainability and the climate crisis: “The microwave is the most efficient way of cooking” 


    The climate crisis is causing many people to despair. Not Hannah Ritchie. The data scientist is convinced that never before has humanity had so many opportunities to live sustainably and in an environmentally friendly way.

  • Protection against extreme weather events: Meteorologists want to predict dryness and wetness more accurately.


    The German Weather Service is introducing an early warning system for soil moisture. Farmers and disaster control should be able to better prepare for extreme events. The balance sheet for 2023 shows how necessary this is.

  • "Shattered and destroyed": New Zealand's glaciers are shrinking surprisingly quickly.


    Excessively high temperatures are changing the country's mountain landscape in the southwestern Pacific. Researchers are shocked after a sightseeing flight over the ice giants.

  • Hayek supporters and climate protection: The misunderstood freedom of the neoliberals 


    This week, neoliberals celebrated their economic idol in Berlin. They see their freedom threatened and suspect a socialist project behind the ecological transformation. An excursion into a strange parallel world.

Stay confident!

Yours, Susanne Götze,


science editor