Netherlands ruling links climate change, human rights — and corporations

A judge in The Netherlands ruled last year that Royal Dutch Shell owed Dutch residents a duty of care to reduce its carbon emissions — and the international energy company was ordered to reduce CO₂ emissions by 45 per cent, relative to 2019 levels, by the end of 2030.

The ruling was significant not only because it was a successful climate change action brought by campaign groups and individuals against a corporation, but also because the court accepted the link between climate change and human rights in a corporate context.

Continue reading