According to Greenpeace and a document obtained by Reuters, Shell (SHEL.L) is suing Greenpeace for $2.1 million in damages after activists from the environmental organization hijacked the company’s oil production vessel while it was traveling at sea this year.
The London High Court received the claim from the big British oil and gas company. In January, Greenpeace activists boarded the ship to protest oil drilling off the Atlantic coast of northern Africa, close to the Canary Islands. They traveled as far as Norway on board.
When asked if it was suing Greenpeace for the event, Shell said legal action was being taken in an email to Reuters. However, the company chose not to comment on the number of claims.
“Unlawful and perilous,” according to a Shell representative, was boarding a moving vessel at sea. “We accept entirely the fundamental freedom to protest. However, the spokesman added that everything should be done legally and safely.
The ship was headed for the future production-only Penguins oil and gas development in the North Sea. Four Greenpeace activists, pursuing the ship at great speed in inflatable boats, used ropes to throw themselves aboard it.
Greenpeace’s efforts have always included maritime protests against mining, oil, and gas infrastructure. According to Reuters’ document, Shell is requesting compensation for the costs associated with shipment delays, additional security expenses, and legal fees. “The claim is one of the biggest legal threats against the Greenpeace network’s ability to campaign in the organization’s more than 50-year history,” the organization said in a statement.
According to the group, in exchange for Greenpeace members agreeing not to stage protests at any of Shell’s oil and gas infrastructure at sea or ports, Shell proposed lowering their damage claim to $1.4 million.
Only if Shell agreed with a 2021 Dutch court ruling to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030—a request that Shell has appealed—would Greenpeace say it would do so.
According to the document reviewed by Reuters, one of Shell’s contractors, Fluor (FLR.N), has an unresolved claim for further damages of around $6.5 million. A request for comment from Fluor was not answered right away.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Shell and Greenpeace have been in talks; however, Greenpeace stated that the discussions stopped in early November and that it was now waiting for Shell to submit further court documents. After that, Greenpeace said, it will consider what to do next, including whether to end the legal action.
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