Shell: nieuwe claim Milieudefensie onrealistisch, onredelijk en fundamenteel misplaatst
Milieudefensie heeft op 21 april 2026 laten weten een nieuwe juridische claim tegen Shell plc in te dienen bij de Nederlandse rechter. Er zijn veel redenen waarom deze nieuwe claim onrealistisch, onredelijk en fundamenteel misplaatst is.
Ondanks het feit dat hernieuwbare energie breder beschikbaar wordt, negeert Milieudefensie de rol die olie en gas de komende decennia blijven spelen. De claim gaat ook voorbij aan hoe het wereldwijde energiesysteem werkt. Bovendien herhaalt Milieudefensie tal van argumenten die het Gerechtshof Den Haag in 2024 volledig heeft verworpen.
Shell is het met Milieudefensie eens dat de huidige geopolitieke verschuivingen nog eens duidelijk maken dat de energietransitie essentieel is. Betrouwbare en betaalbare energie is cruciaal om economieën te laten functioneren, industrieën draaiende te houden en mensen in staat te stellen in hun basisbehoeften te voorzien.
Tegelijkertijd leveren energiebronnen met moleculen — waaronder olie en gas — momenteel ongeveer 80% van de wereldwijde energiebehoefte. Analyse van het Internationaal Energieagentschap (IEA) laat zien dat olie- en gasvelden wereldwijd jaarlijks met ongeveer 5,6 – 6,8% afnemen door productie. De wereldwijde vraag naar olie en gas zal naar verwachting in een langzamer tempo afnemen. Investeringen in olie- en gasontwikkeling zijn dan ook nodig om deze natuurlijke afname te compenseren en de leveringszekerheid van energie in de komende jaren te waarborgen, terwijl hernieuwbare energiebronnen blijven groeien.
Shell is geen eigenaar van de olie- en gasvelden, maar heeft licenties in handen voor de ontwikkeling. Landen zijn veelal eigenaar van de velden. Wanneer Shell wordt verhinderd olie- en gasbronnen te ontwikkelen verdwijnen de productierechten niet, maar worden deze door overheden toegewezen aan andere bedrijven. Het klimaat schiet hier niets mee op.
Het transformeren van het mondiale energiesysteem in de komende decennia vereist gecoördineerde actie van overheden, bedrijven en klanten. Het is aan overheden — niet aan Milieudefensie — om te beslissen hoe zij hun natuurlijke hulpbronnen ontwikkelen.
Frans Everts, president-directeur Shell Nederland, zegt: “Shell levert de energie die de wereld vandaag nodig heeft en investeert tegelijkertijd in het energiesysteem van morgen. Denk aan waterstof, elektrische mobiliteit en CO₂-afvang en -opslag. Wij hebben vertrouwen in onze juridische positie. We gaan voor een gebalanceerde energietransitie: een transitie die rekening houdt met leveringszekerheid, betaalbaarheid en duurzaamheid.”
Aanvullende informatie
Shells strategie is erop gericht de gezamenlijke productie van Integrated Gas en Upstream jaarlijks met 1% te laten groeien tot 2030 en de olieproductie vlak te houden.
Shell heeft wereldwijd 20 miljard dollar geïnvesteerd de energietransitie (energie met een lagere CO2-uitstoot). Denk aan waterstof, elektrische mobiliteit, CO2‑afvang en -opslag (CCS) en gasgestookte en hernieuwbare elektriciteitsopwekking. Shell richt zich op het verbeteren van het rendement op deze investeringen, zodat het bedrijf kan opschalen wanneer de klantvraag en het beleid zich verder ontwikkelen.
Om de rol van Shell in het mondiale energiesysteem in perspectief te plaatsen: Shell produceert ongeveer 1,5% van de wereldwijde olie en 2% van het gas, terwijl staatsbedrijven verantwoordelijk zijn voor meer dan de helft van de wereldwijde productie en 60% van de reserves.
In 2024 heeft het Gerechtshof Den Haag de eerdere zaak van Milieudefensie tegen Shell in zijn geheel verworpen. In tegenstelling tot de wijze waarop Milieudefensie dit presenteert, heeft het hof Shell geen enkele juridische verplichting opgelegd.
Milieudefensie ging in cassatie tegen de uitspraak van het Gerechtshof Den Haag van november 2024 in de zaak die Milieudefensie, andere ngo’s en een groep particulieren tegen Shell hadden aangespannen. In mei 2026 dient de zaak bij de Hoge Raad in Den Haag.
Cautionary note
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-Looking statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; “aspire”, “aspiration”, ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; “desire”; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; “vision”; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks, including climate change; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including tariffs and regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East, and a significant cyber security, data privacy or IT incident; (n) the pace of the energy transition; and (o) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, April 21, 2026. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.
Shell’s net carbon intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “net carbon intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “net carbon intensity” or NCI is for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan and outlook are forecasted for a three-year period and ten-year period, respectively, and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next three and ten years. Accordingly, the outlook reflects our combined Scope 1 and 2 target, NCI target and our oil products ambition over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plan and outlook cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is outside our planning period. Such future operating plans and outlooks could include changes to our portfolio, efficiency improvements and the use of carbon capture and storage and carbon credits. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans and outlooks to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward-Looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.
The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.
Meer weten?
Shell: Milieudefensie's new claim unrealistic, unreasonable and fundamentally misplaced
21 Apr. 2026
On 21 April, Milieudefensie announced it will file its new legal claim against Shell plc in the Dutch courts. There are many reasons why the new claim is unrealistic, unreasonable and is fundamentally misplaced: it ignores the role oil and gas will continue to play over the coming decades as renewables become more widely available; it is disconnected from the realities of the global energy system; and it repeats numerous arguments that The Hague Court of Appeal fully dismissed back in 2024.
We agree with Milieudefensie that current geopolitical shifts make clear that the energy transition is essential. Reliable and affordable energy is critical for economies to function, for industries to operate and for people to meet their basic needs.
At the same time, energy sources with molecules, which include oil and gas, currently supply about 80% of the world’s energy needs. Analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that oil and gas fields worldwide are declining naturally by about 5.6–6.8% annually. Importantly, global demand for oil and gas is expected to decline at a slower rate. Investments in oil and gas development will be needed to offset natural decline and ensure security of energy supply in the coming years as renewable energy sources continue to grow and become more widely available.
Shell does not own the resources it develops; it holds licences while ultimate ownership rests with countries. If a company is prevented from developing oil and gas resources, production rights do not disappear, they are reallocated by governments to other companies. This would simply shift supply elsewhere, without reducing global emissions. Transforming the global energy system in the coming decades requires coordinated action across governments, businesses and customers. It is up to governments, not Milieudefensie, to decide how to develop their natural resources.
Frans Everts, President Director Shell Netherlands, says: “Shell is helping to provide the energy the world needs today while investing in tomorrow’s energy, such as hydrogen, electric mobility and carbon capture and storage. We are confident in our legal position and committed to delivering a balanced energy transition – one that considers energy security, affordability, and sustainability.”
Additional information
Shell’s strategy aims to grow Shell’s combined Integrated Gas and Upstream total production by 1% per year to 2030 and sustain 1.4 million barrels per day of liquids production through to 2030.
Shell is leveraging the $20 billion in capital it has invested globally in lower-carbon platforms across biofuels, electric mobility, CCS and gas-fired and renewable power. We are focused on improving returns and scale of the platforms we have built, enabling us to scale when customer demand and policies evolve.
To put Shell’s role in the global energy system into perspective, Shell produces about 1.5% of the world’s oil and 2% of its gas, while state-owned companies account for more than half of global production and 60% of reserves.
In 2024, The Hague Court of Appeal dismissed Milieudefensie’s first case against Shell in its entirety. Contrary to how Milieudefensie presents it, the court did not impose any legal obligations on Shell.
Milieudefensie appealed the November 2024 ruling of The Hague Court of Appeal in the case it brought against Shell together with other NGOs and a group of private individuals. The case will be heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague in May 2026.
Cautionary note
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-Looking statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; “aspire”, “aspiration”, ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; “desire”; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; “vision”; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks, including climate change; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including tariffs and regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East, and a significant cyber security, data privacy or IT incident; (n) the pace of the energy transition; and (o) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, April 21, 2026. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.
Shell’s net carbon intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “net carbon intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “net carbon intensity” or NCI is for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan and outlook are forecasted for a three-year period and ten-year period, respectively, and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next three and ten years. Accordingly, the outlook reflects our combined Scope 1 and 2 target, NCI target and our oil products ambition over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plan and outlook cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is outside our planning period. Such future operating plans and outlooks could include changes to our portfolio, efficiency improvements and the use of carbon capture and storage and carbon credits. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans and outlooks to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward-Looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.
The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.
