SYDNEY – A federal court in Australia has rejected a pioneering legal challenge against energy company Santos, ruling against claims that the firm deceived the public regarding its environmental commitments on Tuesday.
The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, an advocacy group representing shareholders, filed the legal action in 2021, calling it the world’s first court case to question whether a corporation’s carbon neutrality promises were truthful.
The legal challenge accused Santos of violating Australian business and consumer protection regulations through false and misleading statements when the company claimed it possessed a concrete strategy to cut emissions between 26% and 30% by 2030 while achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
Judge Brigitte Markovic of the Federal Court of Australia ruled against the plaintiffs and dismissed their case, though her detailed reasoning will not be made public until February 23rd.
