Brinkwire

As Shell relocates to the UK, Project Fear reveals four major warnings that Remainers missed.

BY HELENA SUTAN ON NOVEMBER 28, 2021

As Shell relocates to the UK, Project Fear reveals four major warnings that Remainers got wrong.

BREXIT BRITAIN’S most recent victory, which will see oil giant Shell relocate its headquarters to the UK, has sparked new Frexit calls, with one leading campaigner insisting that it once again proves Project Fear was “wrong on everything.”

Royal Dutch Shell is scrapping its dual share structure and relocating its headquarters from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom, a major victory for Brexit Britain. read more

Shell Seismic Surveying: What’s all the fuss about?

By Dominic Naidoo: 28 Nov 2021  iol.co.za news

Dutch energy giant, Shell, will soon be embarking on four to five months of geographic seismic surveying off the coast of the Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape provinces.

Thousands of South Africans are protesting against the planned survey with demonstrations taking place around the country and an online petition which garnered around 286 000 signatures as of Thursday morning.

But what is all the fuss about? What exactly is seismic surveying and why is it bad for the marine environment? read more

THE NEW DAILY

‘Disgusted’ Powershop customers abandon ship over Shell takeover

Zac Crellin Reporter@zacrellin: November 23, 2021

When oil giant Shell announced it was buying renewable electricity provider Powershop Australia on Monday, many of its 185,000 customers instantly switched providers.

Powershop Australia launched in 2012 and had gained a reputation for being 100 per cent carbon neutral – a credential many now see as tainted by the Shell acquisition.

“I was just disgusted and amazed that they thought they could get away with that, without people caring or noticing,” former customer Kristen O’Connell told The New Daily. read more

The Guardian

Shell increases stake in Australia’s electricity market with Powershop takeover

A Meridian spokesperson defended the sale of the retailing arm to one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies, saying the company’s commitment “to do good by our customers and the planet is stronger than ever”.

“We consider this sale as a positive for both, knowing customers will get the same great service and knowing Shell Energy and its partner ICG’s vision is to significantly invest in a transition to a cleaner energy future,” the spokesperson said. “We are proud of that.” read more

The Times

Switch to London is not the only big decision for Shell

Moving headquarters has pleased investors, but they want to see more from the oil group

The Guardian

Pollution experts refuse to let Science Museum feature work over Shell links

Matthew Taylor: Tue 16 Nov 2021 10.47 GMT

Two prominent scientists are refusing to allow their work to be included in the Science Museum’s collection because of the institution’s links to Shell.

Steve and Dee Allen, who have carried out some of the most important research into global plastic pollution, say the museum’s sponsorship deal with the fossil fuel company – and a subsequent “gagging clause” – meant it was no longer a credible scientific institution. read more

Shell to pave roads with plastic-enhanced asphalt

POTTER TWP. — Shell Polymers will partner with a chemical recycling company to pave roads at its petrochemical site with asphalt enhanced with recycled plastic additive.

Shell on Thursday announced plans to pave nearly six miles of site roads and 47,000 square yards of parking lots with the mix at its Beaver County site, which will begin turning natural gas into plastic pellets next year.

Hilary Mercer, Shell Polymers senior vice president, called the move a “win-win” for the environment and the cracker plant project “by using materials that would otherwise have been plastic waste.” read more

The Times

There are no calls to break up BP’s ‘cash machine’, says Bernard Looney

BP is not facing calls to break itself up, such as those aimed at Royal Dutch Shell, its boss has said.

Bernard Looney said that the energy transition required integrated companies that could use oil profits to fund green investment.

He said that BP was a “cash machine” after the oil price soared in the third quarter, helping it to deliver underlying net profits of $3.3billion, up from only $86 million in the same period last year and beating forecasts of $3.1 billion. read more

U.S. House panel subpoenas Big Oil in climate deception probe

WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) – The head of a U.S. House panel on Tuesday subpoenaed four major oil companies and two lobbying groups for documents related to their actions on global warming as part of a year-long probe into potential climate deception by the energy industry.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat and the chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued subpoenas to Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Chevron Corp (CVX.N), BP America (BP.L) and Shell Oil (RDSa.L), and to industry body the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. read more

OILPRICE.COM

Shell: Splitting Up Oil, Renewables Won’t Work

By Tom Kool – Oct 28, 2021, 8:30 AM CDT

Splitting up Shell’s oil and renewables divisions would not work as the supermajor’s strength is the integration and funding new energy solutions with the earnings from the legacy business, the company’s top executives said on Thursday, a day after an activist investor called for breaking up the major into separate companies.

Activist investor Third Point built a position in Shell in the second and third quarters, and said on Wednesday that it would be beneficial for Shell to split off its LNG and renewables divisions, leaving Shell’s upstream, refining, and chemicals operations to be separated from the greener divisions. read more

“Royal Dutch Shell has rejected calls to break itself up”

The Times

Shell sets new goal to cut emissions

Emily Gosden, Energy Editor: Friday October 29 2021, 12.01am, The Times

Royal Dutch Shell has rejected calls to break itself up as it set a new emissions reduction goal in an attempt to please environmental critics.

Ben van Beurden, chief executive of the Anglo-Dutch oil major, insisted that it was better able to serve the energy transition as an integrated company using its oil and gas profits to fund low-carbon investments. read more

The Times

Shell should be broken up, says US investor Daniel Loeb

Oil major cannot be ‘all things to all people’

A US corporate raider has amassed a large stake in Royal Dutch Shell and called for a break-up to end the oil major’s efforts to be “all things to all people”.

Third Point accused Shell of attempting to “do it all” amid conflicting demands for the Anglo-Dutch group to invest in renewable energy while capitalising on its legacy oil and gas assets.

Shell should be split into at least two businesses, Third Point argued on the eve of the company’s latest results, to draw a line under a “difficult two decades” for its shareholders. read more

NL TIMES

Designate Groningen earthquakes a national crisis, Ombudsman says

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

The consequences of the fracking earthquakes in Groningen have all the features of a national crisis and should therefore be designated as such, National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen said. He wants this to keep attention on the situation in Groningen until homes are reinforced, damages are repaired, and residents feel safe, Trouw reports.

“I wanted to choose words that hit so hard that people think: damn it, now we really have to do something,” the National Ombudsman said in an interview with Trouw. “In one way or another, the attention for Groningen is disappearing. Things are taking too long, and the good things don’t really happen. This is a national crisis, which the government and administration have to deal with differently.” read more

Reuters

Big Oil to attend U.S. House climate disinformation hearing

October 22, 20214:21 PM BST

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – Top executives from Exxon Mobil Corp, BP America, Chevron Corp and Shell Oil will testify on Oct. 28 at a congressional hearing examining whether the fossil fuel industry led an effort to mislead the public and prevent action to curb climate change warming, a House panel said on Friday.

Reporting Valerie Volcovici, Timothy Gardner and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Berkrot read more

The consumer champion will release an hour-long Channel 4 special to mark the COP26  United Nations Climate Change Conference

• 22:34, 18 OCT 2021

The outlandish star recently made headlines after he danced and showed a parody advert outside oil giant Shell’s offices in London to raise awareness about “greenwashing”.

The star, who is a regularly on British comedy panel shows such as, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats, arrived outside the offices in a yellow bus painted with a mural of a mock Shell advert featuring the caption “We’re turning our carbon emissions green for earth day”. read more

Joe Lycett to tackle greenwashing for Channel 4

Lycett will focus on the energy giant Shell and their marketing as they continue to search for new oil reserves.

In May 2021, the International Energy Agency published a report that outlined a plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050, including a call for an end to the exploration and development of new oil fields.

That same month, the District Court in The Hague judged that Shell’s parent company, Royal Dutch Shell, currently “disregards its individual responsibility” to reduce its overall emissions. It ordered the group to start reducing them by 45% by 2030, but they confirmed in July 2021 that they will appeal the ruling. read more

CITY A.M.

Shell Energy adopts 255,000 customers from collapsed supplier Green

Monday 27 September 2021  1:24 pm

Shell Energy has adopted 255,000 customers from recently collapsed Green Supplier, just one week after British Gas took on 350,000 customers from People’s Energy.

Industry regulator Ofgem appointed Shell Energy to take on the extra customers, whom had been fearing higher energy bills this winter as a result of losing their supplier.

Outstanding credit balances, including money owed to Green’s existing and former customers will be honoured, Ofgem said in a statement today. read more

The Washington Post:

Vermont sues 4 oil companies, alleges false info on climate

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Vermont on Tuesday became the latest state to sue some of the country’s top fossil fuel companies by alleging they misled the public about the impact their products have on climate change.

The suit names ExxonMobil Corporation, Shell Oil Company, Sunoco LP, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and other corporations.

“They have known for decades that the Earth’s climate has been changing because of emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and that the fossil fuels they sell are the primary source of those emissions,” the lawsuit said. read more

Seeking Alpha

Royal Dutch Shell to weigh vaccine mandate, firing staff on resistance

CITY A.M.com

Shell and BP: why we’re hopeful for a sensible transition to renewables

Sue Noffke: Monday 6 September 2021 9:13 am

The devastating effects of unchecked global warming were laid bare by this week’s landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

UN secretary-general António Guterres described the report’s findings as “a code red for humanity”.

The world’s major energy companies were already on the front line of the climate change battle, but following this week’s report public scrutiny of the industry can only intensify. read more

Extinction Rebellion activists glued to Science Museum site in Shell protest

Kevin Rawlinson and agency: Sun 29 Aug 2021 20.09 BST

Extinction Rebellion protesters have glued or locked themselves to the railings inside the Science Museum, in a protest against the oil firm Shell’s sponsorship of its exhibition about greenhouse gases.

They chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, sponsor Shell has got to go” as those outside sang “No more petrol, no more diesel, funding fossil fuels is evil”, waved flags and banners, played drums and blew whistles. read more

12 August 2021

By Alex Enumah

Abuja — Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), has finally agreed to pay compensation for oil spillages in the Ogoni community of Rivers State, to the tune of N45 billion, after over 31 years of legal battles.

The legal battle, which commenced in 1991, saw judgment in favour of the Ogoni community in 2010 by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.

But the oil giant declined payment and proceeded up to the Supreme Court twice; first in 2017 to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the judgment of the trial court and in 2019, seeking a review of the apex court judgment dismissing its appeal. read more

Agence-France Presse: Thu 12 Aug 2021 00.46 BST

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay around €95m (£80.4m/$111.6m) to communities in southern Nigeria over crude oil spills in 1970, lawyers involved in the case have said.

“The order for the payment of [$111m] to the claimants is for full and final satisfaction of the judgement,” a local spokesman for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria said on Wednesday.

Lucius Nwosa, a lawyer representing the Ejama-Ebubu community in Rivers state, confirmed the decision. read more

VOLTERRA FIETTA

UK Supreme Court issues new decision on parent company liability in Okpabi and others v. Royal Dutch Shell Plc and another

BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM E-NEWSLETTER 10 AUGUST 2021

On 12 February 2021, the Supreme Court issued its unanimous judgment in Okpabi and others v. Royal Dutch Shell Plc and another [2021] UKSC 3, declaring that a claim brought by over 40,000 residents of two communities in the Niger Delta against two Shell group companies over alleged oil spills could proceed to the merits stage. read more

Museums Association

SMG under fire for ‘gagging clause’ in Shell deal

Geraldine Kendall Adams: 30 July 2021

The Science Museum Group (SMG) has defended signing a “non-disparagement” agreement with the oil company Shell, the controversial sponsor of the Science Museum’s Our Future Planet exhibition on carbon capture technology.

The so-called “gagging clause” was part of a contract between the two parties obtained by the anti-oil campaign group Culture Unstained under the Freedom of Information Act, which was reported on Channel 4 News this week. read more

DW.COM

Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: Ogoniland’s uncertain future

A Dutch court in January ruled that Shell had polluted the Niger Delta and ordered the energy giant to pay compensation. But many are now questioning whether it is enough to put right the misery suffered by the people.

The conflict between the indigenous people of Ogoni in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a perennial one.

This year’s court ruling by an appeals court in the Netherlands — in favour of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerian farmers — was heralded by some of them as justice. read more

Bloomberg

Shell CEO Says Company Will Appeal Climate Ruling

by Bloomberg| Laura Hurst & Diederik Baazil | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc said it will appeal a ruling by a Dutch court which ordered it to cut its carbon emissions by 45% over the next decade.

Shell has said it will speed up its energy transition plans in response to the order, but is looking to overturn it so it can stick to its own climate timetable. After intense pressure from investors, the May 26 ruling showed companies’ hands may increasingly be forced by courts, and result in far-reaching implications for the global energy industry. read more

The Guardian

Oil giant Shell set to appeal against ruling on carbon emissions

Company hopes to get Dutch court ruling overturned which called for it to cut emissions faster

Jillian Ambrose: Tue 20 Jul 2021 16.42 BST

Royal Dutch Shell has confirmed that it will appeal against the landmark Dutch court ruling calling for the oil giant to cut its carbon emissions faster.

A court in The Hague reached the milestone verdict in May this year after Friends of the Earth and over 17,000 co-plaintiffs successfully argued that Shell had been aware of the dangerous consequences of CO2 emissions for decades, and that its climate targets did not go far enough. read more

channel4.com

Revealed: Fossil fuel companies lobby UK government for gas ‘compromise’ ahead of COP26  

Some of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies have lobbied the UK government to support a gas “compromise” ahead of the COP26 UN conference, Channel 4 News can reveal.

Last year, representatives from ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, Equinor and BP met with the then UK trade minister for a private dinner in Texas where natural gas was championed as a “vital part of the solution” to tackling climate change, according to a freedom of information request obtained by Greenpeace UK’s investigations unit Unearthed and shared exclusively with this programme. read more

WHEN DEVELOPMENT BECOMES A CRIME: THE CASE OF BOMU COMMUNITY

PEMII BEN. B.

Ban Ki-Moon, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, once asserted that: “sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.”

Going by the dictates of the above quote, it becomes glaring that there is a nexus between development and social justice which, by extension, procreates social stability and mutual co-existence. The absence of “sustainable development” therefore portends danger, especially social unrest which emanates from neglect in every ramification. read more

FORBES

Renewable Energy Soars As Exxon, Shell Falter

As many know, Big Oil companies have suffered major losses as a result of the pandemic, as oil demand plummeted. Now, however, the prospects for the industry are looking more dismal than ever. As oil supermajors have faced increasing pressure to shift toward more sustainable business strategies, such pressure will certainly result in companies looking to renewables as the solution to this shift.

Recently, both Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell were hit with critical climate-related decisions. A Netherlands court ruled that Shell must drastically reduce its emissions this decade in what was “the first time a court ordered a private company to, in effect, change its business practice on climate grounds.” This was a seminal moment that will greatly benefit the clean technology space, leading it to become the norm, and no longer the alternative source for power in society. read more

OILPRICE.com

The Unintended Consequences Of Punishing Big Oil

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Jun 23, 2021, 12:00 PM CDT

The ‘day of reckoning’ for Big Oil, when events at boardrooms and courtrooms issued last month the starkest warning to oil majors’ license to operate yet, was hailed as a huge victory for climate activists. But the climate celebration may be a bit premature.

Rebel shareholder votes at Exxon and Chevron and a court ruling against Shell delivered a blow to Big Oil in a single day, and environmentalists are ecstatic. read more

The Guardian

Students protest at Science Museum over sponsorship by Shell

A group of activists who were threatened with arrest on Saturday evening after staging an “occupation” of the Science Museum in London have vowed to renew their fight on Sunday.

The London branch of the UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) organised a demonstration at the museum in protest at its decision to accept sponsorship from fossil fuel giant Shell.

The museum in South Kensington has partnered with Shell to fund its Our Future Planet exhibition about carbon capture and storage and nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. read more

CBS SF

Supreme Court Allows San Francisco, Oakland Lawsuits Against Big Oil Companies To Proceed

June 15, 2021 at 5:20 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Two more ambitious lawsuits would be hard to image: in 2017 the cities of Oakland and San Francisco filed separate public nuisance lawsuits against five of the world’s biggest energy companies, seeking to hold them responsible for the local effects of sea level rise.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to throw the suits out of court, although the cases still face many daunting obstacles ahead. read more

OPL 245: Groups Urge Nigeria’s Public Prosecutor To Appeal Judgement Favouring Shell, APC

In a statement on Wednesday, spokesperson for the campaign groups noted that the judges have set a terrible precedent for the global fight against corruption involving fossil fuel companies.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUN 10, 2021

Human Rights Groups, Global Witness, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, have urged the Nigerian public prosecutor to appeal the judgement of the Milan Tribunal which acquitted Eni, Shell and others for international corruption related to the acquisition of the OPL 245 oil field in Nigeria. read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Exxon’s defeat in a boardroom battle is a turning point for social activism.

An activist investor successfully waged a battle to install three directors on the board of Exxon Mobil last week with the goal of pushing the energy giant to reduce its carbon footprint. The investor, a hedge fund called Engine No. 1, was virtually unknown before the fight.

The tiny firm wouldn’t have had a chance were it not for an unusual twist: the support of some of Exxon’s biggest institutional investors. BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street voted against Exxon’s leadership and gave Engine No. 1 powerful support. These huge investment companies rarely side with activists on such issues. read more

Shell’s Australia boss says Big Oil faces a push for faster change

By Nick Toscano: June 9, 2021 — 5.09pm

The Australian boss of global energy giant Shell says society’s growing determination to speed up the shift to cleaner energy has driven a sharp escalation of climate pressure engulfing oil and gas producers this year.

In his first public comments since a Dutch court ordered Shell to set deeper and faster emissions cuts targeting a 45 per cent reduction by 2030, Shell Australia chairman Tony Nunan said he believed industry, governments and the public were becoming increasingly aligned on the need to achieve net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. read more

euronews.green

Shell climate case verdict: ‘A stark warning to any corporate polluter’

By Johnny White  •  Updated: 08/06/2021

Last week a Dutch court ruled that one of the world’s biggest oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell, must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by almost half in the next nine years.

It’s no exaggeration to say this landmark verdict, which linked the need for the fossil fuel company to decarbonise to climate science and human rights, is a watershed moment for corporate climate accountability.

The case, brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands and over 17,000 Dutch citizens, established that Shell was in breach of its duty of care under the Dutch Civil Code, informed by its human rights responsibilities, by contributing dangerously to climate change. read more

OilPrice.com

Forget Activism: Chronic Underperformance Is Big Oil’s Biggest Problem

By Alex Kimani – Jun 06, 2021, 7:00 PM CDT

Engine No. 1 has told the Financial Times that Exxon will need to cut fossil fuel production for the company to position itself for long-term success, “What we’re saying is, plan for a world where maybe the world doesn’t need your barrels,” Engine No.1 leader Charlie Penner has told FT.

Meanwhile, a Dutch court has ordered Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) to cut its greenhouse gas emissions harder and faster than it had previously planned.

Whereas climate change issues are the presumptive reasons behind the latest wave of investor revolts at the oil and gas giants, lurking beneath the surface is a growing sense of apprehension about Big Oil’s strategy and failure to generate adequate returns for shareholders in recent decades. read more

REUTERS

OPEC, Russia seen gaining more power with Shell Dutch ruling

Dmitry Zhdannikov: June 1, 2021

Climate activists who scored big against Western majors last week had some unlikely cheerleaders in the oil capitals of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Russia.

Defeats in the courtroom and boardroom mean Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), ExxonMobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) are all under pressure to cut carbon emissions faster. That’s good news for the likes of Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco… read more

Seeking Alpha

Big Oil’s Very Bad Wednesday

allAfrica.com

Oil Giants Get 20-Year License Extension from Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has signed a contract with its partners on oil mining lease (OML) 118 to expand the Bonga oilfield and unlock a U.S.$10 billion investment in the country’s deepwater resources. The OML license for the block partners Shell, Total, Exxon Mobil and Eni were renewed for another 20 years, and five agreements including settlements on a tax dispute and production sharing contracts were finalized. The deal signals the end of “long-standing disputes over the interpretation of the fiscal terms of the production-sharing contracts” between the investors in the field. read more

THE SUN

OPL 245 Saga: Anti-corruption groups applaud President’s stance

27 MAY 2021

By Henry Uche

Human & Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, Re: Common, Corner House and Global Witness have applauded President Buhari’s insistence that the oil field could not be developed until corruption cases had concluded.

HEDA’s Chairman, Olarenwaju Suraj in a statement revealed that the license for Nigeria’s offshore OPL 245 oil block has expired, as Eni confirmed in response to questions at their 2021 annual general meeting. The expiry of the license returns control of the oil field to the Nigerian Government. read more

CNN

Court orders Shell to slash CO2 emissions in landmark climate ruling

“This is a turning point in history,” said Roger Cox, lawyer for Friends of the Earth Netherlands.

By Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

Updated 2000 GMT (0400 HKT) May 26, 2021

London (CNN Business)A Dutch court has ruled that Royal Dutch Shell must dramatically reduce its carbon emissions in a landmark climate decision that could have far reaching consequences for oil companies.

The company must slash its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels, according to a judgment from a district court in The Hague on Wednesday. That includes emissions from its own operations and from the energy products it sells.

This is the first time that a court has ruled a company needs to reduce its emissions in line with global climate goals, according to Friends of the Earth Netherlands, an environmental campaigning group that brought the case against Shell (RDSA).

The verdict could pave the way for similar cases to be brought in other countries, forcing oil companies to reduce fossil fuel production. It comes just a week after the influential International Energy Agency told oil companies they need to stop drilling for oil and gas right now to prevent a climate catastrophe.

The Anglo-Dutch company announced plans in September to become a net zero emissions company by 2050, a target that includes emissions from its products. It is currently targeting a 20% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030, and 45% by 2035.

“This case is unique because it is the first time a judge has ordered a large polluting corporation to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. This ruling may also have major consequences for other big polluters,” added Cox.

The impact of the decision will be amplified because the court relied on global human rights standards and international instruments on climate change in arriving at its decision, according to legal experts.

“I can imagine this will inspire a series of other cases against companies, especially those active in the oil extraction industries like Shell,” said Eric De Brabandere, a professor of international dispute settlement at Leiden University in the Netherlands. “It is a groundbreaking decision, it’s really a landmark.”

Mounting pressure

While Shell claims that its carbon intensity targets are aligned with the Paris Agreement — which aims to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius — Friends of the Earth Netherlands argues that the company’s ongoing investments into oil and gas extraction show that it doesn’t take climate change seriously.

The court found that Shell’s carbon emissions pose a “very serious threat” to Dutch residents, and that the company has an “individual responsibility” to reduce emissions. The court said the company would have “total freedom” to comply with its order and to shape corporate policy.

Shell indicated it would appeal the ruling, which is immediately enforceable, according to De Brabandere.

“We are investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels. We want to grow demand for these products and scale up our new energy businesses even more quickly. We will continue to focus on these efforts and fully expect to appeal today’s disappointing court decision,” a Shell spokesperson said in a statement.

Oil companies are facing mounting pressure from shareholders and activists to ditch fossil fuels and invest into cleaner energy sources. The ruling handed down on Wednesday “may sound revolutionary, but, in fact, it is in line with what long term investors are increasingly asking companies to do anyway,” said Cees van Dam, a professor of international business and human rights at the Rotterdam School of Management.

almost a third read more

EnergyVoice.com

Shell faces Dutch court ruling on global emissions

By Ed Reed: 24 May 2021

A court in The Hague will rule on May 26 on a climate case against Shell, led by Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie).

The environmentalist case demands that Shell cut CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. Success for the NGO would see the corporation ordered to “reduce its emissions in line with global climate goals”.

The outcome, it said, should “impact climate policy and corporate accountability globally”. It does not seek compensation, rather a change to Shell’s business plan. read more

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Why the World Worries About Russia’s Nord Stream Pipeline

May 20, 2021 at 3:26 p.m. GMT+1

A natural gas pipeline being built under the Baltic Sea from Russia to the German coast is shaking up geopolitics. Nord Stream 2, as it’s called, fuels worries in the U.S. and other countries that the Kremlin’s leverage over Europe and its energy market may increase once the pipeline is operational. The U.S. administration has admitted that stopping the gas link, which the project operator says is 95% complete, would be a long shot yet remains committed to opposing it. read more

Shell Green Plans Under Scrutiny as Holders Seek More Action

Laura Hurst: Tue, May 18, 2021, 4:21 PM

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc has been under increasing pressure from investors to slash emissions and pivot toward cleaner energy, and the tension was on show at its shareholder meeting on Tuesday.

The company’s long-term energy transition plan, laid out to investors for the first time, received overwhelming support, but a competing resolution asking for stricter targets also garnered more votes than ever. Adding to the tension, shareholders were meeting as the International Energy Agency warned that all new oil and gas developments need to stop immediately for climate targets to be met. read more

REUTERS

Shell in talks with Nigeria to divest onshore oil stakes

May 18, 2021: Shell, the operator of the West African country’s onshore oil and gas joint venture SPDC, has struggled for years with spills in the Niger Delta as a result of pipeline theft and sabotage as well as operational issues. The spills have led to costly repair operations and high-profile lawsuits. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, CEO Ben van Beurden said that Shell can no longer be exposed to the risk of theft and sabotage.  read more

U.S. Supreme Court backs energy companies over Baltimore in climate case

By Lawrence Hurley: 3 MIN READ: MAY 17, 20213:41 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of BP PLC, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and other energy companies contesting a lawsuit filed by the city of Baltimore seeking monetary damages from them due to costs caused by global climate change.

The 7-1 ruling, authored by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, came on a technical legal issue that could help the companies in their effort to have the case heard in federal court, as they would prefer, instead of state court, which the city favors as it is seen as a more amenable venue. read more

JPMorgan ordered to disclose US documents in Nigeria oil case

Ruling comes ahead of trial in which bank is accused of enabling $875m in misappropriated payments

Anjli Raval, Senior Energy Correspondent

Nigeria has succeeded in an effort to force JPMorgan Chase to disclose more documents ahead of a trial in which the US bank stands accused of enabling the misappropriation of almost $900m in state funds. The UK High Court on Tuesday granted the African nation’s application to secure records from top US executives and compliance officers involved in signing off $875m in payments between 2011 and 2013 relating to the controversial OPL 245 oil licence deal. read more