Shell has settled a lawsuit in the Netherlands that will see it pay €15 million to communities in Nigeria affected by multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta. A total of four oil spills occurred between 2004 and 2007, with the case brought to Dutch courts by four farmers and environmental group Friends of the Earth in 2008. Shell claimed that the leaks were caused by sabotage. However, the appeals court ruled that the oil and gas major was unable to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that sabotage had led to the oil spill, rather than poor maintenance of the pipeline. The plaintiffs sought reparations from Shell for lost income from contaminated land and waterways in the region, with the proceeds from the settlement going to farmers in Nigeria’s Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo communities. “The settlement is on a no admission of liability basis, and settles all claims and ends all pending litigation related to the spills,” Shell said in a statement.
In this week's update:
🇳🇬 Nigeria: Shell settles Niger Delta spillage lawsuit for EUR15m
🇩🇪 Germany: New Supply Chain Act puts due diligence obligations on firms
🇵🇰 Pakistan: Mass arrests after China-Pakistan Economic Corridor protests
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