Legal briefing: ClientEarth v Board of Directors of Shell plc

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Legal briefing sets out the basis of ClientEarth’s claim against Shell’s Board of Directors, by reference to the key claim documents. It gives an overview of the context in which the claim was brought, the reasons why ClientEarth alleged that Shell’s Board had breached its legal duties, and the findings of the High Court of England and Wales.

Collaboration details

In 2023, ClientEarth took Shell’s Board of Directors to court over its mismanagement of climate risk. It was a world-first case seeking to hold corporate directors personally liable for their failure to prepare for the energy transition and was supported by a group of institutional investors with over 12 millions shares in the company.

The High Court of England and Wales rejected the lawsuit. But ClientEarth believes that judgment was flawed and merits deeper scrutiny.

This legal briefing sets out ClientEarth’s claim against Shell’s Board of Directors, by reference to the key claim documents. It also addresses each of the Court’s core findings in turn, and sets out why the organisation believes that the dismissal of the claim is a missed opportunity.

ClientEarth's court filings are available here: www.redirectingshell.com

Objectives

ClientEarth is publishing the legal briefing, along with key court filings, to encourage debate on the critical issues raised in this lawsuit and the judgment.

We hope stakeholders find the briefing informative and thought-provoking, and encourage you to share it among your networks. We are also happy to answer any questions on the documents and would be happy to discuss the claim.

 

Attachments
  • legal-briefing-clientearth-v-board-of-directors-of-shell-v2.pdf Download
Created on
ESG theme
  • Environment
ESG sub-theme
  • Climate change
Sector
  • Energy
Sustainable Development Goal
  • 13 - Climate action
Geography
  • Global
Asset class
None