On February 9, 2023, NGO ClientEarth sued all eleven members of the board of directors of Shell plc before the English High Court, for allegedly failing to take steps to protect Shell against climate-change-related risks (see our alert memorandum of February 22, 2023). Our follow-up alert memorandum of April 17, 2023, also set out some answers to some common questions on derivative claims in the context of ESG litigation.Continue Reading Derivative Claim Against Shell’s Board by Climate-Change Activist Shareholder is Refused Permission to Proceed

The litigation recently launched in England by the NGO, ClientEarth, against the members of the board of directors of Shell plc has generated a significant level of interest from organisations who wish to understand the implications for directors more generally.  The claim raises novel issues regarding directors’ responsibilities for a company’s environmental impact, and questions about how environmental obligations should be implemented and enforced.Continue Reading ESG Litigation: Derivative Claims Against Directors: Q&A

2021 was a pivotal year for European sustainability policy, caught in the implementation of an ambitious agenda. This is expected to continue throughout 2022, when new rules will be finalized and others will enter into force, requiring companies to increase sustainability-related disclosures and due diligence requirements to further the EU Green Deal’s climate transition plans. 
Continue Reading Sustainability Policy Remains Center Stage in Europe