Philippines’ typhoon survivors sue shell in landmark UK climate case
By Abbas Nazil
Survivors of Typhoon Rai in the Philippines have filed a historic legal claim in the United Kingdom against Shell, accusing the oil and gas giant of contributing to the severity of the deadly 2021 storm through its fossil fuel emissions.
The claim, lodged at the Royal Courts of Justice, is believed to be the first brought against a UK-based major fossil fuel producer for alleged climate-related damages, with 67 survivors seeking compensation under Philippine law since the harm occurred there.
Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, struck just before Christmas in 2021 with winds up to 170mph, killing around 400 people, displacing hundreds of thousands, and destroying nearly 2,000 buildings, including the home of former fish vendor Trixy Elle, one of the claimants.
The legal team argues Shell is responsible for around 2 percent of historical global greenhouse gas emissions, citing the Carbon Majors database, and claims the company “materially contributed” to human-driven climate change that intensified the storm’s destructiveness.
They further accuse Shell of having long-standing knowledge of the climate risks linked to fossil fuels since at least 1965, alleging a pattern of misinformation and prioritisation of profits over people and the planet.
Shell strongly denies the accusations, calling the claim “baseless” and rejecting assertions that it had unique climate knowledge or that its activities can be tied to the impacts of a single extreme weather event.
The company says climate change has been publicly researched and discussed for decades and argues that the lawsuit will not help reduce emissions or address global warming.
Climate litigation specialists say the case will test the ability of UK courts to interpret modern attribution science, which increasingly links specific weather events to climate change and quantifies the influence of greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts note that while such cases have faced mixed outcomes internationally, recent legal and scientific advances have made it easier to argue causation, though establishing direct liability remains challenging.
The lawsuit is supported by several environmental organisations who believe the case could set an important precedent for holding major emitters accountable.
More detailed filings from the survivors are expected by mid-next year, marking the start of what could become one of the most consequential climate accountability cases in UK legal history.