Shell chief vows to bolster emissions strategy after court ruling

Shell chief vows to bolster emissions strategy after court ruling

Royal Dutch Shell has vowed to accelerate its strategy towards becoming a net zero emissions business, two weeks after a Dutch court ruling ordered the company to cut its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared with 2019 levels.

Shell's chief executive, Ben van Beurden, promised to “rise to the challenge” in helping to create a low-carbon energy system, but came out fighting for the Anglo-Dutch oil company he runs, insisting it has been leading the industry in taking responsibility for its carbon emissions.

In a statement on his LinkedIn page, Van Beurden said he was surprised by the court's verdict and was “disappointed that Shell is being singled out by a ruling that I believe does not help reduce global CO2 emissions”.