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Friends of the Earth: Court
Orders Companies to Stop Gas Flaring in
PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: November 14, 2005
WASHINGTON, DC/NIGERIA, 14 November
2005 - In a historic judgment today, the
Federal High Court of Nigeria has
ordered companies to stop gas flaring in the
Niger Delta, as it violates guaranteed constitutional rights to life
and dignity. In a case brought against the
Shell Petroleum Development Company of
Nigeria has long suffered from the senseless flaring of gas and the practice has contributed more greenhouse gas emissions than all other sources in sub-Saharan Africa combined, as well as significant health impacts to local communities including; increased risk of premature deaths, child respiratory illnesses, asthma and cancer. The practice costs Nigeria about US$2.5 billion annually, while about 66% of its population live on less than US$1 a day. The judge also declared the Nigerian gas flaring law to be unconstitutional, and ordered the Attorney General to meet with the Federal Executive Council (the country’s highest executive body, including the President, Vice President and Ministers) in order to bring the law into line with present day practice, rules and regulations governing oil and gas activities. The case was
brought by Mr. Jonah Gbemre, on behalf of
himself and the Iwerekan community in
Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, commented: “For the first
time, a court of competence has boldly
declared that Shell, Chevron and the
other oil corporations have been engaged in illegal activities here
for decades. We expect this judgement to be respected and that for
once the oil corporations will accept
the truth and bring their sinful
flaring activities to a halt. “This victory marks a new dawn in
the struggle of
the communities
of the
Peter Roderick, co-Director of the Climate Justice Programme, said: “This is a landmark judgment. We applaud
the courage of
the judge in giving a clear message
that flaring is an outdated practice that is not acceptable in
Photographs of Niger Delta flaring are freely downloadable, without watermarks, from these sites: http://www.idspicturedesk.com/picturedesk/I?k=icn85ZN347-49423&u=aGO http://www.idspicturedesk.com/picturedesk/I?k=Om4Noo55XK-66585&u=yFf Contacts: In Chima Williams, lawyer + 234 80 388 59477 + 234 80 236 49890
In the Peter Roderick, co-Director + 44 20 7388 3141
In Roda Verheyen, co-Director + 49 179 465 2979
In the Anne van Schaik + 31 20 550 7387 anne.van.schaik@milieudefensie.nl and Paul de Clerck, Friends of the Earth International: + 31 62 74 54 457 This action was filed in the summer and permission was granted to Mr. Gbemre to bring his case on 21 July 2005. The case is one of a number of cases brought by Niger Delta communities to stop gas flaring. A fact sheet on Nigerian gas flaring is below. A report published by the Climate Justice Programme and Environmental Rights Action, ‘Gas Flaring in Environmental Rights Action/Friends
of the
Earth Nigeria is dedicated to
the defence of
human ecosystems in terms of human
rights, and to the promotion
of environmentally responsible
governmental, commercial, community and individual practice in
The Climate Justice Programme is an initiative hosted by Friends of the Earth International. It aims to encourage and support the enforcement of the law internationally to combat climate change. Over 70 organizations and lawyers are signatories to its Statement of Support, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, WWF and organizations based in developing countries: http://www.climatelaw.org. |
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