Typhoon Odette survivors’ climate damages claim against Shell

Hausfeld acts for Filipino survivors of Super Typhoon Odette in climate damages proceedings against Shell before the English High Court.

The action

The claim is brought by farmers, fishers, workers and community leaders from some of the worst‑affected areas of the Philippines. They seek compensation for the loss and damage suffered when Super Typhoon Odette struck in December 2021.

The claimants allege that their losses were worsened by climate change driven by the combustion of fossil fuels, including those produced and marketed by Shell over many decades. Shell is said to have long known that its activities were a major driver of climate change and that climate change would increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, particularly in vulnerable countries such as the Philippines.

Impact

Super Typhoon Odette made landfall in the Philippines on 16 December 2021, killing more than 400 people, displacing hundreds of thousands, and destroying homes, livelihoods and local infrastructure across multiple provinces.

The claim is brought on behalf of survivors from climate‑vulnerable communities, including small‑scale farmers and fishers whose crops, boats and equipment were destroyed; workers and small business owners whose workplaces and local economies were devastated; and families who lost their homes or loved ones and continue to face long‑term physical, emotional and economic impacts.

The case highlights how communities that have contributed least to climate change often suffer its worst consequences and have limited resources to recover their losses. It is one of the first cases in the Global South in which frontline communities directly affected by an extreme weather event seek compensation and preventive measures from a major fossil fuel company in their domestic courts. The proceedings raise complex questions around corporate responsibility for climate‑related harms, and the causal link between historic and current emissions and loss and damage.

Specialist Team

The claimants are represented by a specialist team from Hausfeld’s climate and environmental litigation practice, working alongside local counsel and civil society partners supporting the affected communities.

Our team combines expertise in complex group actions, business and human rights, and emerging climate accountability claims against major corporates. Hausfeld has acted in pioneering climate and environmental cases worldwide and continues to work with NGOs, community groups and public bodies to develop strategic litigation aimed at addressing the impacts of the climate crisis.