Sixty-seven Filipino individuals whose lives were devastated by Super Typhoon Odette (known internationally as Typhoon Rai) in December 2021 are taking the bold step of filing a lawsuit in the United Kingdom against oil giant Shell plc. They allege that the company’s decades-long fossil-fuel operations, and its failure to reduce emissions or to properly disclose climate risks, helped intensify the storm’s impact.
According to the claimants, which include survivors who lost homes, livelihoods, and loved ones in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, climate-change caused by human activity more than doubled the likelihood of an extreme event like Odette.
Their legal notice—known as a “Letter Before Action”—has already been delivered to Shell’s London headquarters, and they intend to bring a full suit before the UK High Court if no settlement is reached by December.
Shell has responded by denying that it had unique, independent knowledge of climate risks. The company states that it is transforming its business toward lower-carbon fuels.
For the Filipino claimants, this lawsuit is not solely about compensation—it is also about recognition, accountability, and justice for the damage wrought on vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.