Survivors of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines in 2021 have sued British oil company Shell, three NGOs supporting the survivors, including Greenpeace, said.
The 103 survivors are seeking financial compensation from Shell, saying Shell's carbon emissions have contributed to climate change, which has affected communities in the Philippines.
Typhoon Rai hit the southern and central Philippines in 2021. The powerful storm brought down power lines and trees and caused deadly flooding. More than 400 people died in the typhoon and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.
Scientists have long warned that typhoons are becoming more violent as the world warms due to human-caused climate change. The Philippines is hit by typhoons every year.
A joint statement from the three NGOs said the lawsuit represents "a decisive step to hold oil giant Shell accountable for the deaths, injuries and destruction caused by the climate-driven storm."
The lawsuit is the latest step in a wider international movement to hold big companies accountable for climate damage.
A German court ruled in May that companies can in principle be held liable for damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissions, raising hopes that other countries would follow suit. The survivors are seeking financial compensation for what the three NGOs describe as lost lives, injuries and destroyed homes.
Shell: Groundless claim
Shell has little to spare for the lawsuit in the UK.
- This is a groundless claim and will not help combat climate change or reduce emissions. The suggestion that Shell had special knowledge about climate change is simply not true, a Shell spokesman said.
Shell, like many other energy giants, has downgraded various climate targets to focus more on oil and gas to boost profits.
The UK case follows a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in July, which declared that states had an obligation under international law to address the threat of climate change.
However, the ICJ's advisory opinions are not legally binding.
/ritzau/AFP
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