We first made our commitment to contribute to sustainable development a decade ago, including it in the Shell General Business Principles in 1997. Since then, its importance to us has grown further.
what these words mean for Shell
For us, contributing to sustainable development means helping meet the world’s growing energy needs in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways. In short, helping secure a responsible energy future.
This is a commitment to finding and delivering energy products that help meet the rapidly growing need for affordable, convenient and cleaner energy. In the words of our latest Strategic Energy Scenarios, it is about using our technology, experience and skill to help build a “Blueprints” world (see Two future energy scenarios), that delivers economic development, energy security and CO2 reduction. Part of this commitment is about our products today. We are already producing 3% of the world’s natural gas – the cleanest-burning fossil fuel (see Clean-burning natural gas); offering advanced transport fuels and lubricants that help our customers reduce their local emissions and improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles; and delivering better bitumen and chemicals products (see Winning business with cleaner products). Another part is about investing now for the future: in being leaders in developing low-CO2 second-generation biofuels; in building our capacity in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and in working to drive down the costs of renewable power.
It is also a commitment to responsible operations: building our projects, running our facilities and managing our supply chain safely and in ways that reduce their negative environmental and social impacts and create positive benefits. It includes our work to employ local people and buy from local contractors and suppliers (see Buying and hiring locally). It is reflected in how we make safeguarding the health and safety of our employees and neighbours our first priority (see Personal and process safety), and in our efforts to manage our emissions, including the GHGs from our activities, and our use of resources like energy and water. It is demonstrated by our efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of producing oil from unconventional sources like oil sands (see Difficult oil).
a different mindset
Meeting this commitment requires us to consciously balance short- and long-term interests; integrate economic, environmental and social considerations into business decisions; and regularly engage with our many stakeholders. This mindset is also about being determined to tackle seemingly insurmountable environmental and social problems through creativity and perseverance.
the business case
We remain committed to contributing to sustainable development because it is aligned with our values. It makes us a more competitive and profitable company. It brings us closer to our customers, employees and neighbours, reduces our operating and financial risk, promotes efficiency improvements in our operations and creates profitable new business opportunities for the future.
1
