Shell and Greenpeace Settle Legal Dispute Over Protest at Sea

The agreement resolves Shell's lawsuit over Greenpeace's 2023 ship boarding protest, with a donation to the RNLI and restrictions on future actions.

Shell and Greenpeace have reached a settlement in a legal case stemming from a 2023 protest where activists boarded a Shell-contracted vessel near the Canary Islands.
Greenpeace will donate £300,000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as part of the agreement, while accepting no liability or paying damages to Shell.
The settlement includes a legally binding commitment barring Greenpeace from direct actions near four Shell North Sea sites for up to 10 years, though Greenpeace says it will continue broader campaigns against Shell.
Shell cited safety concerns and increased costs due to the protest, while Greenpeace characterized the lawsuit as a strategic attempt to silence criticism of fossil fuel activities.
The case drew public attention, with Greenpeace framing it as a victory for activism and vowing to persist in opposing the fossil fuel industry's environmental impact.