In a bold legal maneuver with potentially far-reaching consequences, nearly 70 survivors of the devastating 2021 Super Typhoon Odette—internationally known as Typhoon Rai—are seeking compensation from energy giant Shell, arguing that the company’s historic carbon emissions contributed to the intensity and destruction of the storm. The case, which is expected to be filed in the United Kingdom by mid-December 2025 if Shell does not provide a satisfactory response, marks the first civil claim to directly link an oil and gas company to deaths and personal injuries from a past climate disaster in the Global South, according to Climate Home News.
Typhoon Odette struck the Philippines in December 2021, killing over 400 people, severely injuring more than 1,000, and destroying 1.4 million homes. The storm left a trail of devastation, making it the second-costliest storm in the country’s history. For the survivors, the trauma lingers not only in lost loved ones and ruined homes but in a sense of injustice about the forces that made the disaster so catastrophic.
“With fossil fuel emissions being linked to stronger tropical storms like Odette, vulnerable communities like ours are struggling to keep their head above water,” said Trixy Elle, one of the claimants, as reported by Climate Home News. “This is not acceptable, this is not just and we must fight.” Elle, who lost family members and property in the typhoon, plans to attend the United Nations COP30 climate summit in Brazil next month to share her experiences and advocate for climate justice.
The survivors—supported by Greenpeace Philippines, the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, and Uplift—sent a “Letter Before Action” to Shell’s London headquarters in October 2025, demanding unspecified compensation. If the company does not respond satisfactorily, they intend to file a lawsuit before the High Court in London. The legal action is being closely watched ahead of COP30, with campaigners hoping it sets a new precedent for holding major polluters accountable for the human cost of climate change.
The case against Shell is rooted in advances in climate attribution science. Research by Ben Clarke, an associate at Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy, concluded that Typhoon Odette’s heavy rainfall and strong winds were intensified by global warming, making the storm more dangerous and destructive. The suit also cites a 2022 report by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, which concluded that polluters could potentially be held liable for climate change under Philippine law.
Lawyers for the claimants plan to argue that Shell violated their rights under the Philippine constitution, including the right to a balanced and healthy environment. They allege that Shell acted negligently by failing to mitigate climate harm and by allegedly obfuscating climate science, despite having opportunities and obligations to do otherwise. The claimants also contend that Shell profited enormously and unjustly from its business activities at the expense of vulnerable communities.
Shell, for its part, firmly denies legal responsibility for the disaster. “We agree that action is needed now on climate change,” a Shell spokesperson told the Associated Press after the letter was delivered. “As we supply vital energy the world needs today, we are transforming our business to supply lower-carbon fuels for the future. The suggestion that Shell had unique knowledge about climate change is simply not true.” The company also noted, “The issue of climate change and how to tackle it has been part of public discussion and scientific research for decades.”
According to the Carbon Majors Database, maintained by the nonprofit think tank InfluenceMap, Shell ranks among the world’s top emitters, responsible for about 2.1% of total global greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial revolution. By contrast, the Philippines has contributed just 0.2% of global emissions. This stark disparity underscores the argument made by the claimants and their supporters that nations and communities least responsible for climate change are often those most severely affected by its impacts.
The Philippines is no stranger to climate-related disasters. Consistently ranked near the top of the Global Climate Risk Index, the country experiences several deadly storms each year. In 2025 alone, storms such as Bualoi, Ragasa, Co-may, and Matmo caused further destruction across the region, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of Southeast Asia to climate extremes.
Legal experts say this case is part of a growing trend of climate-related litigation worldwide. According to the Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics, at least 226 climate lawsuits were filed globally in 2024, bringing the total to nearly 3,000 cases across 60 countries. Many of these lawsuits seek to hold corporations accountable for their contributions to climate change, with potential liabilities for the world’s largest oil and gas firms estimated at more than $20 trillion.
“It’s a new milestone in climate litigation and corporate accountability for the impact of climate change,” said Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, as quoted by Climate Home News. “But it’s also really significant in the wider political context in which we’re seeing oil and gas companies, investors in the energy sector, all starting to roll back on their commitments to transition away from fossil fuels.”
While courts have generally accepted that climate change is human-induced, they have been cautious about assigning liability to individual companies. Sara Phillips of the Stockholm Environment Institute told Associated Press, “Courts have generally accepted that climate change is human-induced, but they have been cautious about assigning liability to individual companies.” Still, recent rulings suggest the legal landscape is shifting. In May 2025, a German court ruled that civil courts could hear cross-border climate lawsuits, opening the door for similar cases. And earlier this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a group of elderly Swiss women—the KlimaSeniorinnen—who argued that Switzerland’s emission-reduction efforts were inadequate, making them particularly vulnerable to heatwaves.
Greg Lascelles, a partner at the global law firm Hausfeld and the lead lawyer for the claimants, emphasized the broader implications of the Philippine case. “By proving in court that Shell was at fault for this climate change-driven extreme weather event and the suffering it caused, the case highlights the far-reaching and direct impacts on vulnerable communities worldwide of oil and gas company activities,” Lascelles told Climate Home News.
For the survivors of Typhoon Odette, the quest for justice isn’t just about compensation—it’s about recognition and accountability. As Trixy Elle explained to Associated Press, “It is really important for me to carry our story outside the island, outside the Philippines, and tell the whole world that we are here, we exist. We have to fight, we have to stand, we need to speak up for our rights.”
As the world’s eyes turn to the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil, the outcome of this case could set a powerful precedent for climate litigation—and for the rights of those most affected by a warming planet.
