Highlights

• Philippines survivors of Typhoon Rai have filed a UK lawsuit against Shell and claim that the company’s emissions worsened the storm’s impact.
• The case is the first global civil claim linking corporate pollution to deaths and damages from a climate disaster in the global south.
• Scientists say human-caused climate change more than doubled the intensity of Super Typhoon Odette.

In December 2021, Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, tore through the Philippines, thereby leaving a trail of destruction and grief. The storm killed over 400 people and displaced nearly 3.2 million, as well as destroyed more than a million homes.

Among the survivors is Trixy Elle, whose family from Batasan Island in Bohol province lost everything as floodwaters swallowed their home. For days, they survived on scraps of food and clung to life amid chaos. The memories of that night still haunt her and her two sons, who tremble at the sound of thunder.

Four years after the disaster, Elle and 66 other survivors are seeking accountability from Shell, one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies. They have filed a lawsuit in the UK courts and demanded compensation for their losses under what has been described as a legal first.

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The case is distinct because it directly links a company’s emissions to deaths and destruction from a climate-related disaster in the global south.

Shell’s business activities, according to the claimants, have emboldened climate change and have also given teeth to storms like Rai. They say that under Philippine laws, Shell has violated their constitutional right to a healthy environment.

The lawsuit accuses the company of climate disinformation, saying it misled the public about the dangers of its emissions even after internal documents showed awareness of their impact more than six decades ago. The case also seeks an injunction to stop the company from causing more harm to human rights through its operations.

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In response, Shell denied having special knowledge of climate change, stating that the issue has been publicly discussed and studied for decades. The company maintains that it has not misled the public. However, the Filipino claimants aver that Shell continued to expand its fossil fuel operations despite evidence linking emissions to global warming and natural disasters.

Scientific studies supporting the survivors’ case

Research from Imperial College London, the University of Sheffield, and the Grantham Institute found that human-induced climate change has more than doubled the likelihood of extreme weather events such as Odette.

Besides, the lawsuit is also supported by findings from the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, which in 2022 concluded that 47 of the world’s largest oil, gas, and cement companies—including Shell—bear moral and legal responsibility for climate harms.

Climate litigation increases globally

In 2024, researchers at the London School of Economics recorded eleven new “polluter pays” cases, including one against the German company RWE.

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A verdict in that case confirmed that corporations could be held liable for their carbon emissions, though no company has yet paid compensation for loss and damage from the climate crisis. Lawyers say these legal actions represent a growing wave of climate justice as communities turn to courts when governments and corporations fail to act.

A bleak future lies ahead for Elle and her community

For Elle and her community, this case symbolises hope. Her island has gradually sunk due to rising sea levels, forcing residents to rebuild homes on elevated ground. Despite the danger, she refuses to leave. She sees this legal action as a chance for survivors to be heard.

“Maybe this fight is my purpose in my second life after surviving Odette,” she said. Through this case, she hopes that Shell and other companies recognise the suffering of those affected by their business activities.

Ends/

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Source: The Guardian