Survivors of deadly Philippines ‘super typhoon’ take Shell to court over climate harms
London, Thursday 11th December 2025 - A group of over 100 Filipinos whose lives were devastated by Super Typhoon Odette, are seeking financial compensation from Shell. The landmark case filed at the Royal Court of Justice on 9 December 2025 could have major repercussions for the fossil fuel industry.
On 16th December 2021, Odette killed or severely injured over 1,500 people and destroyed 1.4 million homes in the Philippines. Eight million people were affected overall. The survivors argue that Shell’s actions contributed to climate change, which made Odette significantly more likely and more severe. It is the first case to directly link death, injury and property destruction in the Global South to a fossil fuel giant in the Global North.
Trixy Elle, 33, a fishmonger from Batasan whose home was destroyed by Odette, said:
“Odette took everything from me and my family. We were forced to sell our precious belongings just so we could afford to rebuild our home. We’ve done nothing to cause the climate crisis, but because companies like Shell chose profit over people, our lives have been turned upside down.”
The filing follows the sending of a Letter Before Action (LBA) to Shell plc and The Shell Trading and Transport Company Limited (together, Shell) by Hausfeld on 23 October 2025, which notified Shell of intended legal proceedings in England and Wales on behalf of its clients who suffered severe losses including serious property damage, personal injury, bereavement, psychological trauma and loss of earnings. The claimants are seeking damages for these losses and further relief in relation to the violation of their constitutional right to a balanced ecology.
The claim alleges that Shell’s actions materially contributed to anthropogenic climate change which significantly intensified the typhoon’s impact and likelihood, thereby increasing the damage suffered by the clients. The claimants also argue that Shell knew about the dangers of climate change (and the impact of their operations on it) on climate vulnerable communities around the world from the 1960s. However, despite this, the Shell Group tripled their annual emissions from 1965 to 2021 and allegedly funded, promoted and/or engaged in public communications strategies and political lobbying efforts with the objective of undermining the emerging scientific consensus on the causes and likely effects of climate change.
They join a growing cohort of communities using the courts to send a message that the era of consequence-free polluting is over. As of September 2024, 86 cases were filed globally, with 33 relating to companies’ responsibilities for climate impacts. There are growing signs that the legal tides are turning.
In May, a German court delivered a precedent-setting verdict in the high-profile Saul vs RWE case that major emitters can be held liable for climate-related damages abroad. In July, the International Court of Justice advised that governments have a binding duty to protect people and the planet from the climate crisis, and so the potential liabilities for fossil fuel companies are substantial. Climate Analytics estimates that the climate damages attributable to the 25 largest oil and gas companies exceed $20 trillion.
Greg Lascelles, Partner at Hausfeld, leading the legal team:
“This case is about holding Shell accountable to our Filipino clients for climate-driven harm. It advances the polluter-pays principle and as well as remedial measures to further their right to a healthy environment and underscores the real, far-reaching impacts of fossil fuel companies on vulnerable communities.”
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At the time, Typhoon Odette was marked as an off-the-scale event and the second costliest typhoon on record in the Philippines, causing nearly $1bn dollars in direct damage.
The case was filed at the High Court on 9 December 2025 by Hausfeld who represents the survivors. More info about the filing of the Letter Before Action on 23 October.
The case draws on emerging science which can now directly attribute individual extreme weather events to climate change. In June, scientists found that the likelihood of a disaster like Odette in the Philippines has roughly doubled due to global warming.
Shell is one of the world’s largest emitters, accounting for 2.04% of historical global emissions. By contrast the Philippines, the country with the highest risk of climate hazards, has contributed just 0.2%.
The case also argues that Shell has known since 1965 that fossil fuels were the primary cause of climate change, and had been warned that failing to curb emissions would lead to major economic consequences by 2038, yet chose not to change course.
