Brazilian prosecutors sue Shell's local unit for US$108 million over 2024 floods
Brazilian public prosecutors filed a civil suit on 9 October against Shell's subsidiary in Brazil. They seek US$108 million for the deadly 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul. They say Shell's liability should match its share of global emissions.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Brazilian prosecutors on 9 October filed what AFP described as an unprecedented lawsuit against Shell's subsidiary in Brazil, demanding US$108 million in compensation over the deadly 2024 floods. The Straits TimesRC “Brazilian prosecutors on Oct 9 filed an unprecedented lawsuit against oil giant Shell’s subsidiary in the country, demanding US$108 million” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Gulf NewsN “Brazilian prosecutors on Friday filed an unprecedented lawsuit against oil giant Shell's subsidiary in the country” Read at Gulf News ↗ Mixed · 2Torrential rains caused historic flooding in southern Brazil in April and May 2024, leaving nearly 200 people dead and 500,000 more displaced, along with massive damage. The Straits TimesRC “leaving nearly 200 people dead, 500,000 more displaced and massive damages” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Gulf NewsN “Torrential rains sparked historic flooding in southern Brazil in April and May of that year” Read at Gulf News ↗ Right · 1According to the lawsuit, Shell's liability should match its contribution to global warming, estimated at 2% of historical global greenhouse gas emissions. The Straits TimesRC “Shell’s liability should match its contribution to global warming – estimated at 2% of historical global greenhouse gas emissions.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Mixed · 2Prosecutors said the suit seeks to hold the company accountable for collective material and moral damages from the extreme weather event in Rio Grande do Sul state, and that the British energy giant should be held responsible for its past and current emissions from exploring for, producing and selling fossil fuels. The US$108 million covers both material and moral damages. The Straits TimesRC “for collective material and moral damages stemming from the extreme weather event that hit Rio Grande do Sul state” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Gulf NewsN “The $108 million in compensation accounts for both material and moral damages.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Mixed · 2The prosecutors filed the suit together with Instituto Preservar, a Brazilian NGO. Its lawyer Thales Miola said in a press release that the costs of climate damage should not fall solely on society and on those who lost everything, and that major polluters must also answer for the losses they help cause. Gulf NewsN “For Thales Miola, a lawyer at Instituto Preservar, "the costs of climate damage should not fall solely on society and on those who lost everything in the tragedy."” Read at Gulf News ↗ The Straits TimesRC “in conjunction with Instituto Preservar, a Brazilian non-governmental organisation” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Mixed · 2Maria Antonia Tigre, director of global climate litigation at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, told AFP it was the first time a national public prosecutor had sued an oil major over a climate disaster. The Straits TimesRC ““This is the first time a national public prosecutor is suing an oil major for a climate disaster,”” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Gulf NewsN “Maria Antonia Tigre, the director of global climate litigation at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, told AFP” Read at Gulf News ↗
Mixed · 2The suit adds to a wave of climate cases against major emitters. Shell already faces a UK suit by Philippine victims of Typhoon Odette; Indonesian residents of Pari island are suing Holcim in Switzerland; and Pakistani farmers hit by the 2022 floods are suing RWE and Heidelberg Materials in Germany. Gulf NewsN “cases brought by Philippine victims of Typhoon Odette against Shell in the UK, residents of Indonesia's Pari island against cement maker Holcim in Switzerland” Read at Gulf News ↗ The Straits TimesRC “Shell is already being sued in Britain by victims of a typhoon in the Philippines.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Centre · 1German courts moved toward holding major emitters liable last year in Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya's case against RWE. They rejected his compensation claim but left the door open to such liability. There have also been setbacks: climate groups have lost lawsuits against oil companies in the United States, and New Zealand's government changed the law to block a suit by Mike Smith against six domestic companies. Gulf NewsN “Although they rejected his claim for compensation, the courts left the door open to holding major emitters liable for climate-related payments.”“Climate groups have lost lawsuits against oil companies in the United States.” Read at Gulf News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- AFP copy carried by Gulf News presents the suit as a landmark and places it in a global trend of climate litigation, with fuller context and setbacks.
- Emphasis
- Wider litigation landscape (RWE, Holcim, Typhoon Odette cases), the Instituto Preservar lawyer's quote, and legal setbacks in the US and New Zealand.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No response from Shell is reported.
- Charged language
- “unprecedented”
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- AFP copy carried by The Straits Times is a shorter version stressing the lawsuit's scale and novelty, with the Sabin Center expert's comment.
- Emphasis
- The claim, the 2% emissions basis and the first-of-its-kind comment; mentions only the UK Philippine typhoon case as other litigation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the Instituto Preservar quote, the other global cases and the setbacks; no Shell response.
- Charged language
- “unprecedented”“global battle in the courts against oil giants”
- For example
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“marks a new phase in the global battle in the courts against oil giants.” — The Straits Times
“Shell is already being sued in Britain by victims of a typhoon in the Philippines.” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- Prosecutors filed the suit on 9 October against Shell's Brazilian subsidiary, seeking US$108 million.
- The 2024 floods in southern Brazil left nearly 200 dead and 500,000 displaced.
- The claim ties Shell's liability to about 2% of historical global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Instituto Preservar is a co-filer, and Maria Antonia Tigre called the suit a first for a national public prosecutor.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Gulf NewsN · · via AFP
Brazil sues Shell for $108m over deadly 2024 floods linked to climate change
Neutral AFP wire copy: full report adding the NGO's statement and an overview of global climate cases and setbacks; the headline says the floods were 'linked to climate change'.
Right1 article
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The Straits TimesRC · · via AFP
Brazil prosecutors sue Shell for US$108 million over deadly 2024 floods
Neutral AFP wire copy: short report of the lawsuit, its basis and the expert's 'first' comment.
- 10 Oct 02:00 First The Straits TimesRC Brazil prosecutors sue Shell for US$108 million over deadly 2024 floods via AFP
- 10 Oct 09:47 +7h 47m Gulf NewsN Brazil sues Shell for $108m over deadly 2024 floods linked to climate change via AFP
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.