Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels

Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe.

Around 400 people were killed and millions of homes hit when Typhoon Rai slammed into parts of the Philippines just before Christmas in 2021.

Now a group of survivors are for the first time taking legal action against the UK's largest oil company, arguing that it had a role in making the typhoon more likely and more damaging.

Shell says the claim is "baseless", as is a suggestion the company had unique knowledge that carbon emissions drove climate change.

In a letter sent to Shell before the claim was filed at court, the legal team for the survivors says the case is being brought before the UK courts as that is where Shell is domiciled – but that it will apply the law of the Philippines as that is where the damage occurred.

The letter argues that Shell is responsible for 2% of historical global greenhouse gases, as calculated by the Carbon Majors database of oil and gas production.

The company has "materially contributed" to human driven climate change, the letter says, that made the Typhoon more likely and more severe.

The survivors' group further claims that Shell has a "history of climate misinformation," and has known since 1965 that fossil fuels were the primary cause of climate change.

"Instead of changing their industry, they still do their business," said Trixy Elle.

"It's very clear that they choose profit over the people. They choose money over the planet."