Impending Dutch Court Decision to Test Shell’s Responsibility for Climate Change By Hugo Miller and Laura Hurst | May 25, 2021 A Dutch court verdict against Royal Dutch Shell Plc will determine whether it has a legal responsibility for climate change, in a case that will be watched by Big Oil executives globally. A panel of judges in a lower court in The Hague will rule on Wednesday in a case being followed closely by Big Oil executives worldwide. While the verdict is only legally binding in the Netherlands, it’s being closely watched as a new area of litigation and may guide deliberations by judges elsewhere.