Shell Starts Appeal of Dutch Court Order for Fast Emissions Cuts

  • Verdict will have big impact on plans of CEO Wael Sawan
  • Company has recently weakened its own emissions targets

Shell has already said it plans to sell 1,000 retail sites.

Photographer: Sarah Pabst/Bloomberg
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Shell Plc will come head-to-head with the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth on Tuesday to appeal a landmark 2021 ruling ordering the oil and gas giant to slash its emissions by the end of the decade.

The decision could prove to be a watershed moment for the oil industry in Europe, where major companies embraced the transition to clean energy during the pandemic but have since pivoted back toward fossil fuels as a surge in oil and gas prices delivered record profits. Just last month, Shell weakened its targets for emissions reductions in the coming decade.