Shell Foundation

ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY

“It is an exciting time for the Shell Foundation. Our ‘enterprise-based’ approach to tackling global development challenges is being picked up and used throughout the worlds of business and philanthropy.

We think multinational companies have a hugely important but, as yet, largely untapped potential to use business know-how – rather than just money – to tackle global problems. We use our unique relationship with Shell to prove this by, wherever possible, using the power of Shell’s brand, knowledge and infrastructure to help us fulfil our charitable objectives. The Foundation applies business thinking to come up with solutions to international poverty and environmental challenges that would traditionally be tackled by NGOs, governments or international organisations. We do this because we believe too many activities designed to help the developing world are reliant on the next aid cheque, which often does not arrive. Our hope is to find business solutions to specific poverty problems that within a few years can finance themselves and can be easily copied by others so they spread.

By the end of 2007, our ASPIRE funds had lined up more than $100 million to invest in African entrepreneurs – more than doubling the size of the fund in a year. These funds create much-needed jobs and economic growth by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises that are often under-served by local African banks. Our EMBARQ programme, which aims to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the developing world’s largest cities, expanded rapidly. In Mexico City, the innovative 20 kilometre-long bus corridor we helped implement carries more than 260,000 people a day. In 2007, the city’s Mayor committed to building 10 more such corridors. Several other cities in Mexico and Brazil, as well as Istanbul in Turkey are interested in copying the scheme.

In 2007, as part of our Trading UP programme, which unlocks markets for developing world producers, we helped producers sell their 850,000th bouquet of unique South African fynbos flowers through stores belonging to British retailer Marks & Spencer. This has created 135 new jobs in poor communities and helped to protect and restore 30,000 hectares of sensitive land.

We have made big strides towards fulfilling our vision: to see global development challenges successfully tackled through the widespread application of business thinking and business approaches. Watch out for more in 2008.”

KURT HOFFMAN
DIRECTOR, SHELL FOUNDATION

Shell Foundation was established in 2000 with a $250 million endowment from Shell. It is an independent UK-registered charity with projects worldwide.