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Survivors of the deadly 2021 Typhoon Rai in the Philippines have filed a lawsuit in the UK against oil giant Shell, seeking financial compensation for climate-related destruction, three NGOs supporting the claimants announced on Thursday.
Typhoon Rai struck the southern and central Philippines in mid-December 2021, toppling power lines, uprooting trees, and unleashing floods that killed more than 400 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
The case, brought by British law firm Hausfeld on behalf of 103 survivors, argues that Shell’s carbon emissions contributed to climate change, exacerbating the severity of the storm.
Scientists have long warned that typhoons are intensifying as the planet warms due to human-driven climate change.
In a joint statement, Greenpeace and two other NGOs said the lawsuit is “a decisive step to hold oil giant Shell accountable for the deaths, injuries, and destruction left by the climate-fuelled storm.”
The claimants seek financial compensation for lost lives, injuries, and destroyed homes, with the case listed on the website of the High Court in London.
“Island residents like us contribute only a small percentage of pollution. But who gets the short stick? The poor like us,” said Trixy Elle, a fisherman’s wife whose family lost their home and four boats in the storm.
Elle added that her 13-year-old son still suffers from trauma caused by the typhoon.
The lawsuit is part of a growing global movement to hold major companies accountable for climate damage, particularly in the Global South.
In May, a German court ruled that firms could be held responsible for harm caused by their emissions, a decision that has inspired similar actions worldwide.
A Shell spokesperson dismissed the claim, stating, “This is a baseless claim, and it will not help tackle climate change or reduce emissions. The suggestion that Shell had unique knowledge about climate change is simply not true.”
The UN estimated in 2022 that the impact of Typhoon Rai had been “badly underestimated”, with nine million people seriously affected—three times earlier estimates.
The Philippines, among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, experiences an average of 20 storms annually.
The UK case follows a historic advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July, which declared that states have an obligation under international law to address the threat of climate change.
While ICJ opinions are not legally binding, they are highly influential in shaping national courts, legislation, and corporate practices worldwide.
