"Activists behind Shell climate verdict target 30 multinationals", 13 January 2022

The Dutch wing of environmental group Friends of the Earth, which won a landmark court victory against Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) last year, is targeting 30 major corporate emitters of greenhouse gases in a campaign launched on [13 January 2022].

Milieudefensie has set its sights on large companies with legal bases in the Netherlands, where a court ruled in May that Shell must reduce its environmental footprint. read more

The heads of the companies were being sent letters demanding that they provide plans outlining how they will trim emissions of the heat-trapping gases by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030. A failure to do so may result in legal action, said Peer de Rijk, policy officer at Milieudefensie.

Shell is appealing against The Hague district court order to cut emissions in line with the 2015 Paris agreement.

Among leaders in finance, retailers, oil and energy majors, builders and industrial manufacturers on the list are KLM, the Dutch arm of airline Air France KLM (AIRF.PA), ABN Amro bank (ABNd.AS) and supermarket operator Ahold Delhaize (AD.AS).

The move by Milieudefensie follows a commitment by countries to accelerate their emissions reductions at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow in November, with investors managing $130 trillion in assets signing up to net-zero and pressuring companies to ensure their plans are good enough.

Milieudefensie set a three-month deadline until April 15 for the companies to present a climate plan. They will be used to set an emissions baseline against which progress in cutting climate-heating gasses can be measured, the group said.

The complete text of the letter (in English) is available here.