108. Climate, Fossil Fuels and the Future of Shell with Ben van Beurden

Outrage + Optimism

This week, something different. An exclusive interview with Shell CEO, Ben van Beurden.

In May 2021, the District Court in The Hague delivered its landmark ruling in the climate change case filed against Royal Dutch Shell (“Shell”). In her ruling on the case, Judge Larisa Alwin ordered Shell to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. The court found that Shell’s existing carbon mitigation strategy was “not concrete and is full of conditions ... that's not enough.” The court also ruled that Shell is responsible for emissions from its customers and suppliers, known as scope 3 emissions, and further that Shell’s activities constituted a threat to the “right to life” and “undisturbed family life,” as set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.

So, what next? Pending an appeal to the case, how is Shell going to follow the court ruling to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030? We sit down with Ben van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell Plc to discuss what the decisive decade looks like for oil and gas majors.

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Thank you to our guest this week, Ben van Beurden.

Ben van Beurden

Chief Executive Officer, Royal Dutch Shell Plc

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You can read Ben’s response to the Dutch Court Ruling here on LinkedIn.

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