 So I very rarely get to talk about good news on this program because usually there isn't much good news But believe it or not I actually have a little bit of a dose of hope for you and it is it's pure raw Hopium that you can inject directly into your veins and This is some good news regarding the fight to stop climate catastrophe And this could be the start of something very very Significant so for more on this we go to Jessica Corbett of common dreams who explains Climate campaigners worldwide are celebrating after a Dutch court on Wednesday Ordered fossil fuel giant Royal Dutch Shell to cut its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared with 2019 levels a Historic ruling that activists hope is just the beginning of holding the oil and gas industry accountable for driving the climate Emergency this is a landslide victory for climate justice said Sarah Shaw of Friends of the Earth International our hope is that this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters to force them to stop Extracting and burning fossil fuels This result is a win for communities in the global south who face devastating climate impacts now the first of its kind ruling Which shell told the Wall Street Journal it expects to appeal came from the district court in the Hague and is the result of legal Action brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands along with over 17,000 individuals and six other Organizations the individual co plaintiffs and groups which included action aid both ends Fossil Vrij and L Greenpeace Netherlands Jonger in milieu actif and the Waden Virengin I'm not even a try. I'm so sorry for butchering that demanded that shells emissions reduction goals aligned with the Paris climate Agreement which aims to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 the court orders Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its CO2 output and those of its suppliers and buyers by the end of 2030 by a net of 45% based on 2019 levels the court said according to agents France press Royal Dutch Shell has to implement this decision at once So I know that this seems insignificant right now and perhaps at this moment It isn't going to amount to that much right? This is just one court who's saying one company has to comply with this reduction in emissions Having said that though as the article pointed out this could be the moment where the damn bursts open We just needed a little bit of a leak and Now the floodgates may be opening up But we don't know but I want to get to some reactions from individuals who have been following this Bill McKibben writes Wow Wow Wow Dutch court orders Shell to cut the absolute level of its carbon emissions almost in half by 2030 This could be game-changing Jillian Ambrose who is a journalist for the Guardian who covers energy and the fossil fuel industry writes It is genuinely hard to overstate quite how big a deal this ruling is for Shell and the oil industry Shell said it plans to appeal the quote disappointing decision of the Dutch courts But it might be a better use of time to figure out how to make these carbon cuts Roger Cox lawyer for Friends of the Earth Netherlands said this is a turning point in history The first time a judge has ordered a large polluting corporation to comply with the Paris climate agreement This ruling may also have major consequences for other big polluters Sarah Shaw from Friends of the Earth International added our hope is that this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters to force them to Stop extracting and burning fossil fuels. This result is a win for communities everywhere who face devastating climate impacts now So in other words, this is kind of a signal to smaller countries in the global south who are already dealing with the climate crisis to say hey this case Showed that you can actually sue because you deserve to have a planet That is habitable free of pollution and in your area these polluters who are absolutely decimating yours your countries your states You can actually now take action and be successful now the last thing that I want to share the last reaction that I want to Share is a video from the attorney in this case or one of the attorneys I'm assuming and also the director of Friends of the Earth International. This is what they have to say about this This is a historical moment for all of us for the first time in history a judge has ordered One of the largest polluters to stop contributing to dangerous climate change The judge was crystal clear Shell Causes dangerous climate change and Shell should stop immediately with doing that It's a clear signal to all polluters in the world. You should get your act together This is a major victory for the planet for the 17,000 co-planetives the millions of people that have supported us in this court case for my three kids that now have a Clear perspective on a safe and healthy planet and future and for all children in the world I am a happy man today. I think the word the world looks a bit brighter today than it did yesterday I think this is a groundbreaking and historical verdict. We're very happy with that obviously We also think that this will have a ripple effect in other jurisdictions And we expect a lot of similar climate cases around the world against the big polluters So, yeah, this gives this gives us also a hope that the energy transition that needs to speed up and needs to speed up Quickly can actually happen Through these forceful measures So happy that way here. So look this might not amount too much in the end Perhaps Shell appeals this ruling and they win perhaps this doesn't actually trigger Other litigation against these fossil fuel companies that is a possibility But also it's very possible that this is a turning point as climate activists like Bill McKibben are saying It is possible that this could actually be the start of a wave of litigation against The biggest fossil fuel extractors and polluters, you know around the globe this could be the moment Where we look back in history and say that was the start of when we saved the planet. I don't know We don't know we don't know what's gonna happen. Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody can read the future But what I do know is that for all the cynicism that's inside of me This is at least giving me a little bit of hope That with the little bit of time we have left Maybe it's possible that we stop the worst of what climate change has to offer again Maybe it's too late, but maybe it isn't but what I do know is that this is definitely fantastic news and I will take it