Clifford Chance

ESG: Dutch Court's Landmark Decision on Climate Change, Human Rights and Corporate Duties

28 May 2021

In a landmark judgement, Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) has been ordered by the District Court of The Hague to reduce it CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030, as compared with 2019 levels.

The case was brought by the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie), a number of other NGO's, and over 17,000 individual claimants. The ruling sets a precedent for other companies that could face similar lawsuits.

Download PDF