This story written by Mong Palatino Smith and Cooper Austen originally appeared on Global Voices on May 15, 2026.
Around 103 residents from the Philippines who suffered from Super Typhoon Odette (known internationally as Rai) in December 2021 have filed a historic case against Shell PLC, a British multinational oil and gas company, in December 2025. The case marks the first civil claim linking the climate impacts of oil and gas companies to death and personal injury.
In the Philippines, Typhoon Odette killed over 400 people, injured over 1,000 more, and destroyed 1.4 million homes mainly in the island provinces of Cebu and Bohol.
The petitioners are seeking financial compensation for the damage they suffered under the “polluter pays” principle, aside from demanding an end to Shell’s fossil fuel expansion.
The case relies on studies showing how fossil fuel emissions have exacerbated the harsh impact of climate change. It cited the report of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, which noted that companies like Shell should be held legally responsible for causing harm to the climate. The Philippines is a disaster-prone country, and its situation is made worse by climate-related extreme weather events, despite its historically small carbon emissions.
Shell was notified about the plan to file the case in October 2025. The actual case was filed on December 11, 2025, at the Royal Courts of Justice in the United Kingdom, where Shell is based. Law firm Hausfeld, which drafted the complaint, said that Philippine laws were used since the destruction took place in the country.
The campaign page in support of the civil case explains why Shell was singled out in the complaint.
Shell acted with negligence, as they had the opportunity to mitigate climate harm, and an obligation to refrain from obfuscating climate science, but failed to do so Shell is among the world’s major emitters of all fossil fuel companies. Alongside their emissions, Shell’s history of deliberate deception and misinformation regarding the causes and impacts of climate change — and their contribution to these — is well-documented and forms a strong basis to argue their responsibility and liability for their contribution to the damage caused by Typhoon Odette.
Trixy Elle, 33, a fish vendor from Batasan Island, shared her decision to join fellow typhoon survivors in filing a case against Shell:
Odette took everything from me and my family. We were forced to sell our precious belongings just so we could afford to rebuild our home. We’ve done nothing to cause the climate crisis, but because companies like Shell chose profit over people, our lives have been turned upside down.
In an interview with the media outlet Inquirer, she added that they are also planning to file a case against other oil companies.
There are five big oil companies, right? We chose Shell, but it doesn’t mean that the four big oil companies are safe from climate accountability. We will sue them one by one, one case at a time.
In an interview with the media outlet SunStar, Pedia Fajardo of Cebu City said the poor have nowhere to go during climate disasters, making it necessary to implement urgent actions such as reducing carbon emissions.
It is us poor who suffer the most. The wealthy can move to safer places, but people like us have nowhere else to go. Among our complaints is their use of coal which releases massive amounts of smoke.
Another survivor and complainant, Annie Casquejo, said the case filing is not just meant to recoup their losses but also to prove that islanders are fighting for their future.
At the very least, the possessions we spent years saving up for — our boats, our homes — could be replaced. But even if we lose, at least we did something. We are not ‘small people.’ We are people who fight.
In a statement sent to Inquirer, Shell UK dismissed the complaint. “This claim overlooks the benefits energy brings and the decades of choices made by governments, businesses, and consumers that have shaped our energy system.”
Shell UK also sent a statement to the BBC disproving the basis of the complaint
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 issue and how to tackle it has been part of public discussion and scientific research for many decades.
The filing of the case is the result of years of collaboration between communities ravaged by deadly typhoons and global environmental groups.
Together with local government units and Greenpeace, residents of Bilangbilangan and Batasan Islands have been working on several projects to rebuild the communities that were destroyed by Typhoon Odette. In December 2024, they installed solar panels and charging stations to strengthen their climate response capabilities.
The case filing in December 2025 highlights how local interventions can have a huge impact on the global campaign for climate justice. The case could set a precedent and inspire other islanders to sue companies responsible for massive fossil fuel emissions. This could follow the landmark ruling made by the International Court of Justice in July 2025, which stated that governments have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, and they may incur legal responsibility should they fail to fulfill or ignore this duty.
In an interview with the news company ABS-CBN, Virginia Llorin of Greenpeace Philippines noted the significance of the case filed by the residents from Cebu and Bohol. “This is not a fight for them alone. This is a fight for the Filipinos who are impacted by climate change,” Llorin said.
Another creative action featuring the rebuilding efforts of residents is the community art installation on Ubay Island in Cebu. Their message summed up the sentiment of communities in their collective action for climate justice: “From flooded streets and battered islands, hope is a thread we weave together.”
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