Survivors of Typhoon Rai, the deadly 2021 storm in the Philippines, have filed a landmark lawsuit against British oil giant Shell, seeking financial compensation for climate-related destruction, according to three supporting NGOs.

Typhoon Rai devastated the southern and central regions of the Philippines in December 2021, causing massive flooding, toppling power lines and trees, and killing over 400 people. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless.

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The Lawsuit

The legal action represents 103 survivors who argue that Shell’s carbon emissions contributed to climate change, worsening the intensity of storms like Typhoon Rai and causing catastrophic harm to Philippine communities.

Trixy Elle, a plaintiff from a fishing community, lost her home and four boats to the typhoon. She described the lawsuit as a fight for justice:

“Island residents like us contribute only a small percentage of pollution. But who gets the short stick? The poor like us.”

Her 13-year-old son continues to experience trauma caused by the storm.

NGOs backing the suit said the case is “a decisive step to hold oil giant Shell accountable for the deaths, injuries, and destruction left by the climate-fuelled storm.”

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Global Significance

Lawyers supporting the case say it marks the first time claimants from the Global South are taking legal action for personal injury and property damage caused by emissions from corporations in the Global North.

Shell dismissed the claims as “baseless”, arguing that litigation does not help tackle climate change or reduce emissions and that the company did not have unique knowledge about climate risks.

Meanwhile, similar cases globally are gaining momentum. In May, a German court ruled that companies can be held responsible for harms caused by emissions, and the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion in July declaring that states have a legal obligation to address climate threats.

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Human Impact

Plaintiffs describe the devastating personal toll. Rickcel Inting, a fisherman, said his family lost everything when Typhoon Rai struck Bohol province and survived by tying themselves to a rooftop column.

“Shell caused what we have suffered because of its actions, causing pollution and harming the environment… they owe poor individuals like us.”

The lawsuit seeks financial compensation for lives lost, injuries sustained, and homes destroyed, highlighting growing demands for accountability from major oil companies as climate change worsens extreme weather events.