Greenpeace hails Italy court ruling allowing climate lawsuit against energy company ENI to go ahead
In an ordinance released on Monday, the Court of Cassation rejected ENI's motions to dismiss the lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds and ordered the case to be heard on its merits by a Rome tribunal.
ENI, for its part, said that it was greatly satisfied with the decision, and it expected that the Rome court would ultimately 'dismantle' the climate activists' claims of responsibility.
Greenpeace, environmental group ReCommon and a dozen Italian citizens had sued ENI and its two main government shareholders, the Italian finance ministry and development bank, in 2023 seeking damages for what they said were the effects of climate change.
The plaintiffs cited their fundamental rights enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights, as well as Italy's ratification of various international climate accords and ENI's stated commitment to reaching climate reduction targets.
ENI and the government sought to dismiss the suit on jurisdictional and other grounds, but the Cassation court ruled that the case could go ahead.
For more than a century, scientists have known that large quantities of greenhouse gases, released from the burning of fossil fuels, go up into the atmosphere and heat the planet, leading to higher temperatures, rising sea levels and extreme weather events that are both more frequent and more intense.
Around the world in recent years, individuals, climate activist groups and local governments have sued energy companies and governments to try to force them to take concrete action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and compensate for losses associated with climate change.
Greenpeace and ReCommon called the ruling historic, saying it would impact current and future climate-related litigation in Italy. They say it brings Italian courts in line with other European countries that have recognized the rights of people to try to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for global warming through lawsuits, and called the ruling itself one of the most significant in climate change litigation internationally.
'No one, not even a colossus like ENI, can escape its responsibilities anymore,' the two groups said in a statement. 'Judges will finally be able to examine the merits of our case: those who pollute and contribute to the climate crisis must answer for their actions.'
ENI said that it welcomed the ruling.
'The proceedings can finally resume before the Court of Rome, where the unfounded theories put forward by Greenpeace and ReCommon regarding the alleged responsibility of Eni for climate change-related damages will be dismantled, in a context that is rigorous and respectful of the law, rather than driven by the instrumental, unfounded, and often misleading slogans of the two associations,' ENI said in a statement.
While the ruling doesn't enter into the merits of the case, Greenpeace and Recommon highlighted the judges' determination that Italian courts can have jurisdiction over claims about emissions by ENI subsidiaries in foreign countries, since in this case, harm allegedly occurred in Italy and decisions were made by the Italy-based parent company.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Reeves's tax hikes leave 50,000 firms on the brink as stagflation fears grip Britain
The High Street has suffered a tenth consecutive month of decline as higher prices hit shoppers – fuelling fears Britain is facing a painful period of stagflation. In a bleak update, the CBI said its gauge of how retail sales compared with a year earlier stood at minus 34 this month as customers baulked at rising living costs. Although that was better than minus 46 seen in June, it was the tenth month of decline in a row, stretching back to October last year, according to the lobby group's figures. The slump came as firms battered by the Chancellor's £25billion National Insurance tax raid and an increase in the minimum wage pushed up prices – hitting customers in the pocket. The High Street is also grappling with higher business rates following Labour's failure to reform the hated levy on shops and other business properties. The CBI report sparked fresh concerns over the state of the economy as corporate restructuring specialist Begbies Traynor warned a record number of companies are in 'critical financial distress'. Its 'Red Flag Alert' found there are 49,309 firms on the brink – up 21.4 per cent on a year ago. Begbies said 'consumer-facing industries continued to experience some of the most extreme rises in critical financial distress' and highlighted a 41.7 per cent rise among bars and restaurants and a 17.8 per cent increase in general retail. A host of household names have been hit, with River Island battling for survival following the collapse of maternity brand Seraphine and fashion chain Quiz. It is feared Rachel Reeves will hammer households and private business again with another round of tax hikes in the Budget this autumn to pay for Labour's lavish spending on the public sector. The rising costs faced by business have already pushed up inflation to 3.6 per cent – well above the 2 per cent target – while the economy has also contracted for two months in a row. That has raised the spectre of stagflation – a period of economic stagnation and inflation that hits living standards and costs jobs. It has also cast doubt over how far and fast the Bank of England can cut interest rates this year. The CBI urged ministers to 'seek to build shorter-term confidence' in the Government's economic plans and deliver an autumn Budget 'that acknowledges the burden firms are facing'. Cautioning over the impact of the new workers' rights Bill, Martin Sartorius, principal economist at the CBI, said: 'Firms reported that elevated price pressures – driven by rising labour costs – and economic uncertainty continue to weigh on household demand.'
The Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Sun
Why Lionesses saying they're ‘proud to be English' could get them arrested in Keir Starmer's woke police state
IN the afterglow of shooting the Lionesses to Euros victory, striker Chloe Kelly told the watching world: 'I'm so proud to be English!' For a player from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France or the US, a simple exclamation of national pride in their homeland nation would go unremarked. 6 6 6 Here in England it sparked a social media frenzy. Some half-jokingly wondered whether such publicly avowed patriotism would elicit a knock on the door from cops. One X user posted a picture of officers on a door camera with the caption: 'Hi Chloe Kelly, police here, we just need to speak to you about your nationalistic outburst.' Posters were referencing the new elite police squad set up by the Home Office to monitor anti-immigrant sentiment online, aimed to prevent a summer of riots. As we see time and time again, expressing a love for England and displaying a St George Cross flag can erroneously be interpreted by those who wish to divide us as Far Right rabble-rousing. So we shall watch and wait to see who gets caught up in this new net. Hopefully it wil not trouble our new net queen, hero goalie Hannah Hampton who also evoked her Englishness in a post-match interview. 'We've shown during this tournament that we can come back when we go a goal down, we have that grit, we've got English blood in us,' she told TV viewers. That two young women — part of a diverse team that reflects modern England — were happy to express pride in their homeland should be a wake-up call to our nation's elite, falling over themselves to praise Sarina Wiegman 's aces since Sunday night's stunning win. This new flowering of Englishness comes in an era where it's become fashionable to talk the country down and smother it with colonial guilt. Many on the metropolitan left in Britain have long had a sneering disdain for the emblems of the nation. In 2014, Dame Emily Thornberry's snobby tweet of a Medway home with England flags flying and a white van in the drive saw her resign from the then Labour Shadow Cabinet. The following year fellow Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn, who was then Labour's leader, failed to sing the National Anthem at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Not only did it appear an affront to the memory of 'The Few' — those who had lost their lives in the history-defining conflict — it was also bad politics. Labour signalled that it was drifting away from its traditional, patriotic working-class base who loved their country, their flag, their monarchy and their football team. Sir Keir Starmer recognised Labour's patriotic deficit late in the day, the piping up about his pride in the nation and instigating the singing of the National Anthem at party conference. Later, Corbyn, now in the throes of setting up a new hard left party (don't expect it to have a Union Jack emblem), called singing God Save The King at Labour's annual get-together 'very, very odd'. Such sentiments drove away voters in the so-called 'red wall' constituencies in the north. Little wonder that as the Starmer project flounders, Reform UK — unafraid to fly the flag — have now found fertile ground in once Labour heartlands. English patriotism has long hid its light under a bushel — not helped by the St George Cross being adopted by far-right knuckle draggers like the English Defence League. Compare the comparably muted St George's Day celebrations to the green carnival of St Patrick's Day. In America, with a bloody history to rival Britain's, Old Glory is hung from garden flag poles across the land, whether the owner is Republican or Democrat. Some argue that our patriotic reserve is part of the essence of Englishness. Chloe and Hannah showed the world they were gutsy, skilled, confident, joyous — and proud to be English Yet, Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton wore their national pride on their sleeve. It was remarkable for being such a rarity in English public life. Former Government special adviser James Price wrote on X: 'I haven't heard anyone on telly say that about England in so long. 'For all the sneering from some quarters, that's just such a wonderful thing to hear. Much more of this please, in all kinds of arenas.' Much has been made of the British — as well as English — preoccupation with our victorious role in World War Two. Yet, standing alone against Nazi Germany — real fascists not someone misgendering you on social media — was a crowning achievement of the British Empire, with theatres of war in Africa and Asia as well as Europe. Swell with pride The number of red poppies displayed on St George flags is testimony to how important it remains to our national story. After the war — under Clement Attlee's Labour government — a sense of patriotic purpose and unity helped rebuild Britain. A shared togetherness can work wonders for the economy and the national mood. Remember Cool Britannia in the 1990s when the nation revelled in its identity? It was a soft power and financial winner. Everyone has their own sense of Englishness in a land that produced the likes of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, John Lennon, Agatha Christie and Sir Isaac Newton, to name but a few. For some it's rolling moorlands of the Pennines and Cumbria, others might choose dining out on chicken tikka masala or dancing to dub reggae at the Notting Hill Carnival. Many will swell with pride re-watching Bobby Moore wiping his muddied hands before accepting the World Cup from the Queen. Now the Lionesses have roared and added their story to our national identity. Chloe and Hannah showed the world they were gutsy, skilled, confident, joyous — and proud to be English. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Advertising slump rocks STV as 'deteriorating' economic conditions push back TV projects
STV Group has downgraded its sales and profit outlook as 'deteriorating' economic conditions squeeze ad revenues and push back several TV projects. Shares in the Scottish media firm plunged by about a quarter yesterday following the update. The firm said it was expecting full-year revenue and adjusted operating profit to be 'materially below' a consensus of analysts. Nevertheless, it highlighted strong progress within its scripted labels with current projects including for Netflix, Apple, Sky and the BBC. Rufus Radcliffe, STV's chief executive, said production had finished on 'key titles with international appeal, including high-end drama Amadeus for Sky and a third series of Blue Lights for BBC One'.
