Brazil sues Shell for $108m over deadly 2024 floods linked to climate change

Brazilian prosecutors have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Shell Brazil, seeking $108 million in compensation over devastating floods that struck the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul in 2024. The lawsuit, filed on Friday, marks the first instance of a national public prosecutor taking legal action against an oil company for climate-related damages. Torrential rains in April and May of 2024 triggered historic flooding, claiming nearly 200 lives, displacing 500,000 people, and causing extensive destruction.

The plaintiffs argue that Shell's liability should correspond to its contribution to global warming, which they estimate at 2% of historical global greenhouse gas emissions. Public prosecutors assert that Shell should be held accountable for environmental and climate-related responsibilities due to its emissions associated with fossil fuel exploration, production, and sale. The $108 million in compensation encompasses both material and moral damages.

This development signifies a significant shift in global efforts to hold major polluters accountable for the consequences of climate change. Maria Antonia Tigre, director of global climate litigation at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, emphasized that this is the first time a national public prosecutor has sued an oil major for a climate disaster.

Thales Miola, a lawyer at Instituto Preservar, a Brazilian NGO involved in the case, argued that the costs of climate damage should not be shouldered solely by society and those affected. He stressed that major polluters, who significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, must also bear responsibility for the losses they help cause.