Two landmark rulings are a testament to decades of tireless campaigning by people in the Niger Delta and environmental activists. Like many who have witnessed the environmental impact of multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta, we welcomed two recent ground-breaking rulings in the UK Supreme Court and the Dutch appeals court. Both cases signal a shift in the onus of responsibility. It now lies firmly at the feet of multinationals who have prospered, profited, and polluted in the Niger Delta. In the case heard in the Netherlands in January, the appeals court ruled that Royal Dutch Shell was responsible for environmental pollution by its subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria. By failing to introduce effective tracking devices, the judgment said Royal Dutch Shell was culpable for oil pipeline leaks and ordered it to pay unspecified damages to farmers. In the […]