“Absolute emissions have to go down strongly, 45%, that’s what Paris means” 

May 2021 marked a turning point in the climate fight, as activist shareholders and legal action began to force Big Oil to take the Paris Agreement seriously.
NEWSLETTER

Stay informed and get our monthly newsletter delivered to your inbox.

During the last week of May 2021, significant gains were made in the battle against climate change. In this episode, Becky Annison talks to Mark van Baal, the founder of the international pressure group Follow This, about what happened. Was this the beginning of a sea-change that could save the world?

What some commentators bill as the start of the end of fossil fuel was driven in part by activist shareholders, as well as through the courts. The big oil companies are now being asked in very real terms by customers and shareholders to treat the Paris Climate Agreement seriously. Becky and Mark discuss the intricate ways that company law is being leveraged to drive this peaceful rebellion.

We sometimes hear from lawyers that they can feel disheartened that their work isn’t always a force for good. Mark, a relatively unknown journalist before the advent of Follow This, talks to us about how we can all make a difference, and his belief that the legal industry in particular holds the key to a brighter future.

The Hearing is a legal podcast from Thomson Reuters.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Listen on SoundCloud

SHARE POST

BP ousted chair Albert Manifold over governance issues, months after he blocked a climate resolution by Follow This.
Follow This secured 21 percent support from independent shareholders at Equinor’s AGM for a proposal demanding disclosure on strategy under declining oil and gas demand.
BP's board faced a triple climate rebellion at its AGM. Shareholders rejected plans to weaken climate disclosures, and 18% opposed chair Albert Manifold's re-election.
Exxon sued us in 2024.
BP blockED US IN 2026.
We're not stopping.

Follow us