What a Dutch Court Ruling Means for Shell and Big Oil: QuickTake

Climate lawyers are preparing to take on more fossil-fuel companies after a Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell Plc to cut its emissions faster than planned, on the grounds that the oil giant is violating human rights by contributing to global warming. It was a turning point for climate court cases, which boomed after the Paris Agreement on global warming was reached in 2015. Initially, many cases challenged governments’ plans, but litigators are increasingly targeting companies.

1. What was the Shell verdict?

A Dutch court ruled on May 26 that Shell should slash its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 ...