About Milieudefensie
Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) is a non-governmental environmental pressure group. Founded in 1971, we have more than 80,000 members and supporters, 80 local groups, and an independent and active youth department.
Friends of the Earth
Milieudefensie is the Dutch member of Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 76 national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, we campaign on today's most urgent environmental and social issues. We challenge the current model of economic and corporate globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.
Pressure
Milieudefensie campaigns on traffic and agriculture, but our work does not stop at the border. We have a long history of campaigning against Dutch companies that damage the environment beyond Dutch borders, such as oil company Shell. We pressure governments and businesses to adopt policies and practices, which ensure environmental protection, conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. We activate people and communities locally and nationally to push governments, industry and financial institutions to adopt the environmental agenda.
Successes
In our 40-year history we scored many wins for the planet: supermarkets sell more and more Eco-products, sustainable garden furniture conquers garden centers, valuable countryside was spared and recycling is now common practice. These and many other successes could only be achieved by the relentless support of people like you. Help us make a success of this campaign and make a donation.
Milieudefensie demands that Shell announce the following steps, prior to, or at their shareholders’ meeting on May 22nd:
1) Develop a solid plan to clean up the oil pollution in the entire Niger Delta, both on land and in the water. As recommended by the UN, this plan should include Shell depositing $1 billion to a special emergency fund for the most urgent clean up operations.
2) On January 1 2013, all oil wells that are still illegally flaring gas must be shut down, and remained closed until gas recovery systems have been installed.
3) Develop a clear plan to improve the maintenance of the extremely outdated and faulty pipeline network in Nigeria, and effectively protect them against theft and sabotage. The plan should prevent new oil leaks from Shell pipelines in the future, instead of the current situation in which new leaks occur on an almost daily basis.
4) Offer serious financial compensation to farmers and fishermen whose means of living have been reduced or destroyed as a result of oil leaks from Shell pipelines. And apologize to the residents of the Niger Delta, for having suffered for decades due to the oil pollution.
If Shell does not meet the demands listed above, Milieudefensie will further intensify its campaign against the oil industry.