Shell Not Abiding By Carbon Emission Reduction Mandate

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With global warming further threatening the ecosystem, major companies are expected to abide by their sustainability goals.

This is not the case unfortunately with most companies, as Shell failed to meet its emission targets as revealed by a climate report. This information came on the heels of a court judgment made in a case brought forward by environmental organization Milieudefensie, which concluded that the Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company was falling behind on its target goals.

The fact that Shell is reneging on its promises sets a pattern of emissions increase until 2030, according to research agency Global Climate Insights, clashing with the 45 percent mandatory reduction determined by the Dutch court.

The oil company responded by saying that the conclusions reached by the research agency are “highly speculative”, stressing that it will gradually reduce its emissions until it becomes carbon neutral by 2050.

Yet this claim is inconsistent with the findings of the report, which states that the company won’t be able to achieve its target if its practices are not altered until the end of 2022. Global Climate Insights also estimates that Shell will miss their emission reduction targets by three percent at least, given that the company previously declared its desire to take down its emissions by one-fifth.

Furthermore, the agency expected that the oil giant will increase its fuel emissions by 66 percent, leading to a 4.4 percent rise in net greenhouse emissions.

Milieudefensie described the results of the study as “worse than expected”, with the organization’s director Donald Pols saying: “It is imperative that Shell comes up with a whole new strategy, one without oil and gas,” in reference to the company’s decision to increase its gas extraction.

The environmental organization previously filed a lawsuit against Shell, resulting in a ruling by the court in The Hague that obliges the company to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions, setting 2030 as the date on which emissions should be reduced by 45 percent.