Posted by John Donovan: 30 Jan 2025
In yet another shocking display of corporate audacity, Shell—the world’s favorite environmental supervillain—just had its UK North Sea drilling permits for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields ruled unlawful by the Scottish courts. But don’t pop the champagne just yet! Thanks to some legal gymnastics, Shell and its Norwegian sidekick, Equinor, can keep plowing ahead with their climate-wrecking projects while they “reapply” for permission. Because, obviously, rules don’t apply when you have BlackRock and Vanguard pouring billions into your destruction fund.
The Case: A Comedy of Corporate Loopholes
Greenpeace and Uplift, two organizations actually trying to stop the planet from turning into an inferno, took Shell and Equinor to court last November, arguing that the approval process for these projects conveniently ignored the massive greenhouse gas emissions their oil and gas would create. You know, minor details.
And guess what? They were right. The judge, Lord Ericht, ruled that the UK government’s approval process for Rosebank and Jackdaw was unlawful—because, shocker, it failed to consider the catastrophic impact of burning all that extracted oil and gas. But in a classic judicial plot twist, Ericht also decided that the projects can keep moving forward anyway while Shell and Equinor slap together some new paperwork. Because, heaven forbid, a minor thing like “illegality” should slow down an oil giant.
Investors Still Cashing In on Climate Collapse
Despite this legal slap on the wrist, Shell’s backers—BlackRock, Vanguard, and all the usual suspects—are still laughing all the way to the bank. After all, what’s a little climate destruction when the dividends keep flowing? Rosebank alone is estimated to hold 300 million barrels of oil, which, when burned, will make sure those investment portfolios stay nice and fat, even as the planet burns.
The Bottom Line: Same Old Dirty Tricks
This court ruling should’ve been a major victory for climate justice—but instead, it’s just another corporate slapstick routine where oil barons fumble their paperwork, get caught, and then get to keep on drilling anyway. Because when you’re Shell, the laws of physics, morality, and apparently the courts, just don’t apply.
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