MANILA, Philippines – Over 100 survivors of Typhoon Odette from Bohol and Cebu sued oil firm Shell at the Royal Courts of Justice in London for the loss and damage they said they endured.

Aaron Pedrosa, head of the legal team at the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), told Rappler going to communities and coordinating with British legal teams took two years. The case hinged on Philippine law and the Commission on Human Rights’ landmark report. It was filed at the Royal Courts of Justice in London by British firm Hausfeld.

Some claimants who were supposed to be present during the filing in London did not make it because of visa problems, said Pedrosa. PMCJ and Greenpeace Philippines are the two groups who helped the Filipino claimants.

“This would probably be, according to our British counterparts, a long-drawn litigation simply because we are up against a giant,” Pedrosa told Rappler in an interview. “But we made the historic first step of filing or pursuing them before their own courts.”

Rappler’s climate reporter Iya Gozum gives a rundown of the case — now called by campaigners as the ‘Odette Case’ — and what this means for communities demanding stronger climate action from governments and corporations.

– Rappler.com