The co-plaintiffs were Action Aid Netherlands, Both ENDS, Fossil Free Netherlands, Greenpeace Netherlands, Young Friends of the Earth Netherlands and the Wadden Sea Association (Waddenvereniging).
FOE said this historic verdict has enormous consequences for Shell and other big polluters globally. FOE Netherlands director Donald Pols said: This is a monumental victory for our planet, for our children and is a stop towards a liveable future for everyone. The judge has left no room for doubt: Shell is causing dangerous climate change and must stop its destructive behaviour now.
Roger Cox, lawyer for FOE Netherlands, said: This is a turning point in history. This case is unique because it is the first time a judge has ordered a large polluting company to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. This ruling may also have major consequences for other big polluters.
The Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN) is seeking the intervention of the Nigerian government in getting Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company to pay a fine of $3.6 billion levied on it by an industry regulator for a spill in Bonga oilfield in 2011
Samuel Ayade, coordinator of the fishermen group, made the demand in Yenagoa on Friday, saying fishermen had been grappling with severe difficulties in fishing in polluted waters since a leak during a transfer of oil into a tanker at the Bonga offshore field operated by Shell in 2011, causing 40,000 barrels of oil to spill into the waters.
The settlement of the fine has been outstanding for over eight years now, with a Shell spokesperson saying in 2012 that everything was done to forestall damage to the environment and there was no justification for the penalty in the first place.