THE TIMES

Investor rebellion over climate change at chaotic Shell AGM

Emily Gosden: Energy Editor: Wednesday May 25 2022

A fifth of Shell shareholders have voted to reject its climate transition plans, almost double the rebellion that it endured a year ago.

The revolt came at a chaotic annual general meeting in London that was delayed for several hours after disruption by environmental protesters. Sir Andrew Mackenzie, Shell’s chairman, called police to clear the room at Central Hall in Westminster and three people were arrested outside the venue.

Shell, Europe’s biggest oil and gas group, is under intense scrutiny by investors and wider society over the speed of its plans to make the transition to cleaner energy. It has committed to eliminating its emissions to net zero by 2050, but faces pressure to make steep cuts in the near term, including from a read more

24 May 2022: 10.22

Shell Plc Chairman Sir Andrew Mackenzie calls in the police to quell shareholder rebellion at AGM 

Sir Andrew asks the police to “come in and settle the meeting down so we can continue with proceedings.” 

In the meantime, the meeting is halted. 

Protestors chant that “SHELL MUST FALL” 

THE MEETING OFFICIALLY PAUSED AT 10.35 am. 

Bloomberg

Shell Climate Case to Return to Focus at Annual Shareholder Meeting

Laura Hurst, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) — Climate issues are set to take center stage at Shell Plc’s annual general meeting on Tuesday, with a key group saying the energy giant isn’t abiding by a landmark court order requiring it to cut emissions by 45% by 2030.  

Milieudefensie, the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth, says Shell’s plans around customer-related emissions — which make up the bulk of its pollution — aren’t in line with last year’s judgment. The group originally brought the case against the company.

“The judge’s verdict is clear and necessary: Shell must stop causing dangerous climate change,” said campaign spokesperson Nine de Pater, who plans to attend the meeting in London as a proxy shareholder.  read more

Contractor quitting puts Shell in spotlight over climate

A longtime contractor for Shell has accusing the oil and gas company of “double talk” by saying it wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions while working on tapping new sources of fossil fuel

By Frank Jordans Associated Press: May 23, 2022, 6:03 PM

BERLIN — A longtime contractor for Shell has publicly called out the oil and gas company’s climate plans, accusing the company of “double talk” by saying it wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions while working on tapping new sources of fossil fuel. read more

skynews

They’re ignoring all the alarms’: Contractor resigns from Shell with warning to staff about ‘extreme harm’ to planet

Caroline Dennett told Sky News that working for Shell was no longer morally compatible with her beliefs about how best to protect the planet and the people who live on it.

Hannah Thomas-Peter: Climate change correspondent @hannahtpsky: Monday 23 May 2022 15:44, UK

A safety consultant who spent more than a decade working as a contractor for Shell has publicly resigned, claiming the oil and gas company is causing “extreme harm” to the planet. read more

The Guardian

Shell consultant quits, accusing firm of ‘extreme harms’ to environment

Alex Lawson Energy correspondent: Mon 23 May 2022 13.09 BST

A senior safety consultant has quit working with Shell after 11 years, accusing the fossil fuel producer in a bombshell public video of causing “extreme harms” to the environment.

Caroline Dennett claimed Shell had a “disregard for climate change risks” and urged others in the oil and gas industry to “walk away while there’s still time”. read more

Reuters

Climate-focused Dutch funds to take lead on Shell investor engagement

By Shadia Nasralla and Ron Bousso: MAY 19, 2022

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) – Two climate-focused Dutch pension fund managers have been named to lead climate negotiations with Shell (SHEL.L) on behalf of a major group of investors that helped shape the energy company’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

MN and PGGM will officially take the role on behalf of the Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) investor group comprising $68 trillion in assets following Shell’s annual general meeting on May 24, MN said on Thursday. read more

Reuters

Shell obtains injunctions against U.K. climate protests

Shell has obtained injunctions from U.K. courts that pave the way for protesters to be fined or put in prison if they block or damage petrol stations and other oil facilities in England and Wales, the firm said on Friday.

The move follows several protests in recent weeks by climate activists such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.

It mirrors steps taken by other oil firms including Exxon that were backed by Britain’s business department, which says the right to protest should not cause disruption to people’s everyday lives. read more

sky news

Extinction Rebellion: Six people arrested as activists climb on top of Shell oil tanker in central London

Saturday 16 April 2022 16:05, UK

Six people have been arrested after Extinction Rebellion activists climbed on top of an oil tanker in central London.

The climate group said three people climbed on top of the Shell tanker, holding a banner which said “end fossil filth” in Bayswater Road on Saturday morning.

Extinction Rebellion said Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist Etienne Stott and fellow British Olympian Laura Baldwin were among those demonstrating. read more

Extinction Rebellion protest: Activists enter Shell HQ

Zoe Tidman: 13 April 2022

Activists have glued themselves to Shell HQ and a UK government building in protests to demand action on the climate crisis as Extinction Rebellion continued its week of protests in London.

Demonstrators entered the oil and gas company offices on Wednesday afternoon, with some using glue to stick themselves to the reception desk and the ground outside.

SOURCE

Spoof Shell Oil adverts pop up at bus stops boasting ‘Climate breakdown? We cause it’

‘Shell: Burning your Future,’ one poster masquerading as an advert says

Zoe Tidman read more

Extinction Rebellion activists have glued themselves to the reception desk of Shell’s London HQ.

Members of the group gained access to the building, on London’s Southbank, this afternoon and are occupying it and telling passing workers to change careers.

The protest is part of Extinction Rebellion’s “April rebellion”, which began on Saturday and has included mass roadblocks in the capital.

Speaking on a livestream from inside the building, one activist said: “We’re here to ask you to really think about what you’re doing. Do you really want to be part of this planetary destruction?” read more

Harrison Jones for metro.co.uk: Wednesday 6 Apr 2022 5:41 pm

…hundreds of experts from around the world are engaged in a ‘scientist rebellion’, which saw oil chucked over Shell’s headquarters in London.

…experts from around the globe have been taking part in what they called the ‘world’s largest ever scientist-led civil disobedience campaign’.

A number of them in the UK used modified fire extinguishers to spray biodegradable fake oil on a Shell building, where they also plastered scientific papers on the walls.

The scientists are calling for a ‘climate revolution now’ and say ‘1.5°C is dead’, in reference to the target for global warming, which the IPCC warned is almost out of reach.

One of those taking part, Cat Acheson, a social scientist and PhD researcher, said: ‘I’m here today taking non-violent direct action against Shell, because the continued use and expansion of fossil fuels is endangering all life on our planet. read more

London Evening Standard

Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden: Carbon emissions court ruling was ‘body blow’

By Simon Freeman: 20 Jan 2022
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL’s CEO Ben van Beurden today described a court ruling from The Hague ordering faster, deeper cuts to the company’s carbon emissions as a “body blow”.

In comments likely to provoke controversy among green activists, he said: “I was listening at home as the judge gave her verdict. It felt like a body blow.

“I found it deeply troubling that Shell as a single business should be held accountable for how the world produces and uses energy.” read more

London Evening Standard

BP and Shell: Big Oil risks big embarrassment as profits roll in during COP26

By Lucy Tobin World leaders this week gathered in Glasgow to discuss tackling climate change, which is driven in part by fossil fuel emissions. At the same time super majors like BP and Shell have announced billions in profits thanks to surging oil prices.

The timing was impeccable: as 30,000 COP26 delegates listened to UN Secretary-General António Guterres warn that “our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink… either we stop it — or it stops us,” BP hurled billions of dollars at its investors via its third-quarter results.

The oil major pledged to return another $2.25 billion via buybacks and dividends this week thanks to Brent oil trading at $85 dollars a barrel, its highest since 2014. Boss Bernard Looney admitted BP was “a cash machine at these types of prices.” read more

The Telegraph

We’ll all pay for turning Big Oil into a pariah

JEREMY WARNER 5 November 2021 • 6:00am: Extracts

If nothing else, the apparent contradiction in aims highlights a basic truth about “Big Oil”; like it or not, the world remains overwhelmingly dependent on hydrocarbons for its energy needs; however fast we invest in alternatives, that’s not going to change for some time to come.

Both of Britain’s oil majors, BP and Shell, have ambitious plans to transform themselves into clean energy enterprises, yet to the fury of Extinction Rebellion activists, the bulk of their investment is still heavily focused on oil and gas. As it is, they are arguably not investing nearly enough in hydrocarbons. read more

FROM A MAJOR ARTICLE ON TWO-THIRDS OF PAGE 8 OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS SECTION OCT 31, 2021

How should Shell, Glencore and British American Tobacco deal with their “toxic” legacy businesses?

Robert Watts: Sunday October 31 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times

Ben Van Beurden knew last weekend that he was facing one of the more trying weeks of his 38 years at Shell. But he still had no clue of the impending ambush being prepared by an American billionaire activist investor.

Shell’s chief executive knew the quarterly figures for the oil and gas giant he would unveil on Thursday would be bad. Profits between July and September came in at $4.1 billion (£3 billion) — well below the $5.4 billion expected and 25 per cent down on the previous quarter. read more