Typhoon Survivors Sue Shell for Climate Damages in Landmark Case

Sixty-seven Filipino survivors of the catastrophic 2021 Super Typhoon Odette are preparing to take oil giant Shell to court in the United Kingdom, seeking compensation for damages they claim the company helped cause through decades of carbon emissions.

Super Typhoon Odette (internationally known as Typhoon Rai) devastated the Philippines’ central Visayas region in December 2021, killing over 400 people and destroying millions of homes. The storm ranks among the most destructive in Philippine history, displacing thousands of families and leaving entire communities in ruins.

The plaintiffs, all residents of affected Visayas communities who lost family members, homes, or suffered serious injuries, argue that Shell’s historic greenhouse gas emissions have intensified extreme weather events like Odette. Their legal team has already delivered a formal notice to Shell requesting a response, with plans to file suit in a UK court by December if the company’s reply proves inadequate.

This groundbreaking case, supported by Greenpeace Philippines and other advocacy groups, represents a growing global trend of holding major polluters legally accountable for climate-related damages. The lawsuit invokes the “polluter pays” principle, arguing that companies responsible for environmental harm should bear the costs of resulting damages. “Our demand for reparations from rich, polluting nations and corporations like Shell is just a fraction of what they owe for their climate atrocities,” said Estela Vasquez of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice. The outcome could set important precedents for future climate litigation worldwide.