In 2021, for the first time in history, a judge held a corporation liable for causing dangerous climate change. As a result of legal action brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) together with 17,000 co-plaintiffs and six other organisations the court in The Hague ruled that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% within 10 years. This historic verdict has enormous consequences for Shell and other big polluters globally.
Since then, Chaja Merk from Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie), has been working on an international storytelling project to highlight campaigns against Shell. Shell is currently planning 750 new fossil fuel projects all around the world, despite the verdict of 2021, and while we are living in the middle of the climate crisis.
A team from Friends of the Earth Netherlands have set up an international storytelling project which is compiling the stories of activists who are resisting Shell's new projects in their country.
This has involved creating short videos, blogs, articles, a photo exhibition and social media content to tell the stories of those whose voices are often unheard or even oppressed. It highlights the impact is of Shell's CO2 emissions on people's lives, and how people are fighting to stop new fossil fuel projects.
On December 12, Chaja Merk will be in Melbourne and will share their experiences of documenting resistance to Shell.
Chaja and their team have just been on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia where there is strong opposition to a planned ‘Burrup Hub’ project which is a $50bn Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) mega-project led by Woodside Energy, with the support of Shell. Recently Chaja returned from Argentina where she interviewed activists and experts and joined protests against off shore drilling (by Shell, Equinor and YPF).
Forum, Tuesday December 12.
6 – 7pm.
Online and in person.
If you would like to attend in person:
Upstairs at Friends of the Earth,
312 Smith street, Collingwood
(please come around to the side door in Perry Street).
Please arrive just before 6pm for a prompt start at 6pm.
