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00:00It came as a major disappointment to climate activists gathered outside the courthouse
00:05in The Hague.
00:07As inside, the Dutch appeals court reversed a landmark ruling that imposed steep carbon
00:13emissions reductions on energy company Shell.
00:19This should have been the moment of a real breakthrough in the fight against dangerous
00:22climate change.
00:24That didn't happen today, but the fight against dangerous climate change is a marathon, not
00:28a sprint and the race has only just begun.
00:33Hailed as historic, the original 2021 ruling said Shell must reduce its carbon emissions
00:39by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019.
00:44But on Tuesday, the appeals court dismissed that ruling, saying that although the multinational
00:50had a duty of care to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, there was currently insufficient
00:55consensus in climate science on a specific reduction percentage to which an individual
00:59company like Shell should adhere.
01:02After a string of courtroom victories, it's a defeat for climate activists, leaving a
01:07question mark over whether climate litigation is the right approach.
01:11Well, you know, there are some points of light, I guess, that the court, they acknowledge
01:17that Shell actually has to reduce their emissions, however, we cannot go further with this court
01:23case like this.
01:24It's very disappointing, obviously, and it also kind of shows that maybe this isn't the
01:27right way to force Shell's hand in this matter.
01:31Dutch environmentalists have not said whether they would launch a further appeal at the
01:35Netherlands Supreme Court.
01:37But Tuesday's decision was welcomed by Shell's CEO, who said the company believed it was
01:43the right one for the global energy transition, the Netherlands and our company.
01:48In March, Shell weakened its carbon emissions reduction targets, citing sustained demand
01:54for fossil fuels.