British energy giant Shell is facing a new legal challenge in the Netherlands, with activist group Friends of the Earth Netherlands demanding an immediate halt to its investments in new oil and gas projects. The lawsuit comes as Shell reportedly scales back renewable energy operations and weakens emissions targets, capitalising on soaring profits following the Ukraine war.
In its summons, the group stated: "Shell must stop bringing new oil and gas fields into production. This is necessary to protect us from Shell's climate-disrupting activities." Shell has called the case "unreasonable", arguing the activists ignore the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels and that production would shift to other companies if ordered to stop.
The lawsuit builds on a previous case underway in Dutch courts. In 2024, an appeals judge ruled Shell had a responsibility to cut emissions to protect people from global warming, though it scrapped an earlier specific carbon reduction target. The court noted Shell's plans to invest in new projects likely did not align with that obligation but could not rule on investments as they were not part of the demands. That case is now at the Dutch Supreme Court.
Shell moved its headquarters from The Hague to London in 2022 but retains a secondary Amsterdam listing. Friends of the Earth argues a Dutch court retains jurisdiction because Shell's actions cause climate damage in the Netherlands. Shell did not respond to a request for comment.
