Press releases
Nigerians and Milieudefensie appeal in Shell case
AMSTERDAM/PORT HARCOURT, 1 May 2013 – Today, the Nigerian farmers from two villages who lost their case against Shell, together with Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie), have submitted an appeal to the 30 January decision by the court in The Hague. Milieudefensie is also filing an appeal in a third case. All the cases are centred around oil pollution due to spills from Shell pipelines and oil wells.
Milieudefensie response to the verdict in the Shell Nigeria court case
Geert Ritsema: ‘This verdict is great news for the people in lkot Ada Udo who started this case together with Milieudefensie [Friends of the Earth Netherlands]. But the verdict also offers hope to other victims of environmental pollution caused by multinationals. At the same time, the verdict is a bitter disappointment for the people in the villages of Oruma and Goi – where the court did not rule to hold Shell liable for the damage. Fortunately, this can still change in an appeal.’ This is the first time that Shell has been ordered by a Dutch court to pay compensation for the damage in Nigeria.
Friends of the Earth Netherlands treats Shell shareholders to a Nigerian cocktail at the Worse than Bad-bar
Amsterdam, 21 May 2012 – Shell shareholders deserve to be pampered. That’s why five chic Nigerian Milieudefensie [Friends of the Earth Netherlands] waiters will be offering an exclusive cocktail at the exotic ‘Worse than Bad’ bar during Shell’s annual shareholders meeting tomorrow in the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Netherlands. A blend of hydrocarbon, a generous splash of benzene and a pinch of barium provide an unforgettable smell and taste sensation. The drink comes right out of water pumps in the Niger Delta and residents of the Niger Delta drink this daily, thanks to the oil disaster Shell has caused there. The waiters are pleased to share this powerful brew with the people who lend financial support to the multinational. The bar opens at 9:30 am.
International campaign: Shell's oil disaster in Nigeria is 'Worse than Bad'
Amsterdam, 8 May 2012 – How much worse does the biggest oil disaster in the world have to get before the offender starts cleaning up? Apparently even worse than it is now, because Shell has still taken no action. Friends of the Earth Netherlands believes this is unacceptable and has started an international campaign to bring attention to the oil disaster in Nigeria. This 'Worse than Bad' campaign shows the suffering that the Dutch oil concern has been causing in the Niger Delta for decades and asks site visitors to support Friends of the Earth in the struggle against the Dutch multinational. Many ways to do so are shown on worsethanbad.org. For those who want to know the facts, there is also a 'Timeline of Shell's oil pollution in the Niger Delta', filled with unique documents and photos.
Shell oil leaks reach new peak; Nigeria hit hard
Amsterdam, 13 April 2012 – Shell has released its 2011 Sustainability Report. The figures reveal that the number of leaks (208 worldwide) has risen for the first time since 2003: globally, Shell has leaked a total of 6.7 million litres of oil. That is the second highest peak this millennium. Nigeria remains the most seriously affected, where last year the number of leaks due to poor maintenance doubled, from 32 to 64. This means that the oil concern has sunk back to its 2002 level there.
Court date Milieudefensie vs. Shell: 11 Oct. 2012
Amsterdam, 3 April 2012 – The court in The Hague has decided that an open sitting in Milieudefensie’s Nigeria case will be held on 11 October 2012, 9:30 a.m. Milieudefensie [Friends of the Earth Netherlands] and four affected farmers and fishers from Nigeria are demanding that Shell clean up oil pollution in the Niger Delta, compensate those affected and prevent new leaks in its pipelines. This is the first time in history that a Dutch company has been brought before a Dutch court to account for environmental damage caused abroad.
Milieudefensie and Nigerian farmers not permitted to get the truth about Shell
Amsterdam, 14 September 2011 – The court in The Hague has today decided not to grant Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) and the Nigerian farmers access to internal Shell documents which could shed more light on the circumstances surrounding leaks from Shell pipelines in Nigeria and the involvement of the Shell parent company in the Netherlands. The request for inspection was part of a legal case that four Nigerian farmers and Milieudefensie are bringing against the oil concern for causing severe oil pollution in the Niger Delta and bringing about serious damage to the farmers’ agricultural fields and fishing ponds.
UNEP report exposes Shell s failings in Nigeria
Amsterdam, 4 August 2011 – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, presented to the Nigerian government on 4 August, offers an appalling picture of the consequences of Shell’s business practices in Nigeria. Now that the UNEP has irrefutably stated that the Nigerian region Ogoniland is severely polluted, Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) believes Shell must finally accept liability for decades of environmental pollution. This means cleaning up the Niger Delta and compensating area residents.
Shell Nigeria ordered to appear before the Dutch court
Amsterdam, 30 December 2009 - Milieudefensie [Friends of the Earth Netherlands] is satisfied with the decision of the court in The Hague, which today determined that the Dutch court has jurisdiction to rule on the activities of Shell Nigeria. Last year, Milieudefensie, in conjunction with four Nigerian farmers, started a legal case against both Shell Nigeria and its parent company in the Netherlands to expose oil pollution in the Niger Delta. On 3 December, Shell argued in court that the Dutch court was not competent to rule on Shell Nigeria. Now that Shell has been defeated on this point, this hurdle has been passed and the ‘real’ case can begin.
Nigerians pursue legal case against Shell
5 November 2008 – Four Nigerians and Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) today initiated a unique legal case. For the first time in history, the international headquarters of Shell in the Netherlands will be brought before a Dutch court to account for environmental damage caused abroad. The Nigerian plaintiffs – farmers and fishers – have suffered great losses due to oil leaks caused by Shell’s oil production. On Friday, 7 November, Liesbeth Zegveld, lawyer for the Nigerians and Milieudefensie, will subpoena Shell, accused of negligence. New research has shown that the villages of the Nigerian plaintiffs are severely polluted, and that Shell does not follow international standards for responsible oil production in Nigeria. Two of the Nigerian plaintiffs are currently in the Netherlands.
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