Shell Appeals Climate Ruling, Insists on Right to Trash the Planet Unabated

Posted by John Donovan 2 April 2024

In a move that redefines chutzpah, Shell Plc is set to defend its rapacious environmental practices in a Dutch court, challenging a landmark ruling that dared to suggest the oil and gas behemoth should reduce its planet-murdering emissions.

The audacious district court ruling in 2021, which Shell now dares to contest, ordered the company to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by a measly 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. Apparently, that’s the equivalent of asking Godzilla to cut back on his stomping by 45% to preserve Tokyo.

Shell, the poster child for environmental negligence, has the gall to argue that such an order lacks a “legal base.” They even have the nerve to claim that they can’t be held responsible for the emissions caused by the very products they gleefully peddle to the masses.

“We agree that the world needs urgent climate action, but we have a different view in how that goal should be achieved,” the company self-righteously proclaims on its website. Translation: “We agree the world is on fire, but we’re not going to stop selling matches.”

Meanwhile, Friends of the Earth Netherlands, the valiant David to Shell’s environmentally destructive Goliath, remains unyielding in its pursuit of climate justice. “The scientific basis on which we’ve founded our claims against Shell has only solidified,” declared the group’s lawyer, presumably while shaking his head at Shell’s breathtaking audacity.

Shell’s recent climate “commitments” include weakening its 2030 carbon reduction target and scrapping a 2035 objective, citing expectations for strong gas demand and uncertainty in the energy transition. In other words, they’re saying, “We’d rather keep swimming in oil money than give a damn about the planet.”

But fear not, dear Earthlings, for Shell assures us that it’s “not ignoring” the court order. They proudly trumpet their $10-15 billion investments in low-carbon energy solutions, conveniently omitting the fact that it’s a drop in the oil-slicked ocean compared to their overall profits.

Despite this legal wrangling, Shell insists its actions are in line with the ruling. They now aim for a whopping 15-20% reduction in net carbon intensity of its energy products by 2030, down from the previous target of… wait for it… 20%. Because when it comes to saving the planet, every decimal point counts, right?

As the court prepares for four days of hearings, one can’t help but wonder: will justice prevail, or will Shell continue to flaunt its disregard for the environment like a peacock in an oil spill? Either way, brace yourselves for more spineless corporate doublespeak and enough greenwashing to make Kermit the Frog blush.

And so, the battle rages on, with Shell clinging desperately to its fossil-fuelled empire while environmentalists scramble to salvage what’s left of our besieged planet. In this David versus Goliath struggle, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Let’s hope that reason prevails, and that Shell is finally held accountable for its crimes against the only home we have.

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