It's time to imagine a future without Shell - Oil Change ...

Nearly a year ago, in April 2020, Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell told investors that “Shell intends to lead and ... Home About JobsatOilChangeInternational Blog ProgramAreas GlobalPolicy PublicFinance GlobalIndustry Africa Asia UnitedStates Research Press Donate Facebook Twitter C:FutureBeyondShell ItisaquestionthatIhavehadwithclimatecampaignersonandoffdecades.WhatroleshouldBigOilplayinanytransitiontowardsarenewable,cleaner,morejustfuture? SomehavearguedthatitisonlycompanieslikeBPandShellthatarebigenoughfinanciallytobeabletomakethenecessaryinvestmentstorapidlydecarbonize. Othersretortedthatsuchcompaniesthathavedelayedandobstructedactiononclimatefordecades,cannotandshouldn’tsuddenlybepartofthesolutiontothecrisistheyhavecreated. Shell,forone,wantsyoutobelieveithasaroletoplayinthetransition.Nearlyayearago,inApril2020,BenvanBeurden,ChiefExecutiveOfficerofRoyalDutchShelltoldinvestorsthat“Shellintendstoleadandthrivethroughthistransitiontoalow-carbonenergyfuture…By2050,Shellintendstobeanet-zeroemissionsenergybusiness.” AsInotedatthetime:“SoacompanyoftenvilifiedforbeingcomplicitinhumanrightsabusesinNigeria,oframpantpollutionandignoringtherisksofclimatechangefordecades,belatedlywantsustobelieveitiscentraltotheclimatefight.” Fivemonthslater,OilChangeInternational,alongwithacoalitionofcivilsocietyorganizations,releasedagroundbreakingdiscussionpaperwhichanalyzedtheclimateplansoftheoilmajors,includingShell,andfoundthatnoneofthem“comesclosetoaligningwiththeurgent1.5ºCglobalwarminglimit.” OneofthepartnersinthereportwastheDutchorganization,SOMO.RhodanteAhlers,aseniorresearcherwithSOMO,said,“thisindustryrefusestochange.Acenturyoftoxicpractices,exploitingpeopleandplanet,andrefusingtopaytheirduesbyavoidingtaxation,shouldbeenoughreasontodemandthattheindustrymustchangetodayandpayreparationforyesterday.” SOMOandotherpartnerslikeCodeRood,havenowgonefurther,releasingareportoutlininghowShell,farfrombeingthesolutiontoourclimatecrisis,isimpedingajusttransition.Tocoincidewiththereport’slaunch,thegroupshavecreatedanewwebsite:www.futurebeyondshell.org. Thereportoutlineshowtheoilgiantisimpedingajusttransitioninfourways: Obstacle1:Shellremainsdrivenbyprofitmaximization.Asthereportoutlines,“inthefirsttwodecadesofthe21stcentury,ShellcouldhavechosentospendtheUSD$237billionthatwenttoshareholdersandsharebuybacks,onmakingitsfixedcapitalstockmoreclimateproof.Insteadofgivingsocietyitsrightfulduesbypayingtaxes,Shellhasburdenedtheworldwithglobalwarming.“ Obstacle2:Shellthrivesoninequalityandviolence.Shell’scenturyofglobalresourceextractionandlabourexploitation,causingglobalwarmingandenvironmentaldestruction,hasbeenfacilitatedbyviolentcolonialism,arguesthereport. Obstacle3:Shellunderminesdemocraticdecision-making.Thereportoutlineshow“Shellusesitsprivilegedaccessto,andinfluenceon,policymakerstosecureandpromoteitsowninterests,includingthoserelatingtoclimatepolicy.” Obstacle4:Shellmisleadstheway.Thereportcontinues,“Shellusesscenarios,marketingcampaigns,andmisleadingadvertisingtopresentanimageofitselfasacompanyindispensableinprovidingenergyandabletoguidesocietythroughtheenergytransition.” AsIlonaHartlief,oneoftheauthorsofthereport,argues,“Shellcouldhavechosentoinvestthosebillionsofdollarsinsustainableenergy,andpreparingthecompanyforthejustenergytransitiontheworldurgentlyneeds.”Butitdidnot. “Everydollarspentonexorbitantpay-outstoexecutivesandshareholders,orshiftedtotaxhavens,wasadollarnotspentonprovidingadecentwage,orretrainingworkersforclimateresilientjobs,orcleaningupoilspills,orcompensatingcommunities,orachievingthetargetofzeroemissionsoverthenext50years,”addsHartlief. Alsoonthewww.futurebeyondshell.orgwebsite,alongwiththemainreport,isafurtherreportentitled:TheFutureWeWant. Thereportoutlinestheconceptof“energydemocracy,”whichiscentraltoanyjusttransition.It’sclearthatenergydemocracycannotco-existwithacompanylikeShell.Thesecondreportimaginesafuturewherehumanrights,decentlivelihoods,healthycommunities,andflourishingecosystemsareprioritizedoverprofits,allowingpeopletorecoverownershipandcontroloftheirland,territories,andresources,andtobuildregenerativerelationshipswithecosystemsandeachother. Thereportconcludes,“inordertorealizethisvision,wewillneedtoembracethestrengthofourmanydiversemovementsacrosshugelydifferentcontexts,butwhicharenonethelessunitedbothbycommonenemiesandthebybondsofsolidarity.” HavingwrittenaboutShell’shorrendoustoxicanddestructiveenvironmentalandculturalimpactfornearlythirtyyearsnow,Iforone,cannotarguewiththat. ItistimetoimagineafuturewithoutShell. Sharethis:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPocket SendtoEmailAddress YourName YourEmailAddress Cancel Postwasnotsent-checkyouremailaddresses! Emailcheckfailed,pleasetryagain Sorry,yourblogcannotsharepostsbyemail.