{
  "id": 13371058,
  "title": "Brazil sues Shell for $108m over deadly 2024 floods linked to climate change",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/brazil-sues-shell-for-108m-over-deadly-2024-floods-linked-to-climate",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T08:47:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/business/energy/brazil-sues-shell-for-108m-over-deadly-2024-floods-linked-to-climate-change-1.500705246"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis 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.",
  "summary": "Brazil sues Shell for $108 mn over deadly 2024 floods: prosecutors",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Brazil prosecutors sue Shell for US$108mil over deadly 2024 floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/brazil-prosecutors-sue-shell-for-us-108mil-over-deadly-2024-floods",
        "published": "2026-10-09T23:43:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Brazil sues Shell for US$108mil over deadly 2024 floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/brazil-sues-shell-for-us-108mil-over-deadly-2024-floods",
        "published": "2026-10-10T00:10:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Brazil prosecutors sue Shell for US$108m over deadly 2024 floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/brazil-prosecutors-sue-shell-for-us-108m-over-deadly-2024-floods",
        "published": "2026-10-10T04:09:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Brazil prosecutors sue Shell for $108m over deadly 2024 floods",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/brazil-prosecutors-sue-shell-for-108m-over-deadly-2024-floods",
        "published": "2026-10-10T09:06:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}