Shell: Screw the environment, let's get rich

Posted by christian - 18 March 2009 at 11:01am - 27 Comments

Canadian tar sands

Canadian tar sands - According to Shell, more profitable than wind or solar power. But at what cost to the environment?

We've got so used to big oil companies trying to use tiny investments in renewable energy as fig leafs for their core business of pumping oil, that in a way, an oil company just turning round and issuing a big 'screw you' to such pretensions might almost seen slightly refreshing, if only for the novelty value.

Well, in theory. But it's hard to read yesterday's press statement from Shell without your heart sinking. With regards to wind and solar power, Shell said that they do "not expect material amounts of investment in those areas going forward. [Wind and solar] continue to struggle to compete with the other investment opportunities we have in our portfolio."

Even all the slippery corporate-speak in the world can't obscure that message. In more straightforward language, it might read: "forget the environment; we're in it for the cash."

With their quarterly profits looking to stall as demand falls in the US, Shell are hoping to stay in in the game by exploiting oil sources like the Canadian Tar Sands, which make up about a third of their oil reserves. Tar sands produce the dirtiest, most polluting fossil fuel in the world - and extracting oil from them comes with a horrific environmental cost.

With the American 'clean-tech' sector buoyed up by financial support packages from the new administration, many other investors are flocking to pour money into wind and solar technologies, while around the world, the amount of renewable power being generated is growing rapidly. Building more wind and solar power will be necessary to deal with climate change, and could lead to the creation of tens of thousands of highly-skilled jobs. But apparently Shell, looking painfully out of touch, doesn't care about any of that. 

With one press conference, Shell has cemented their status as a regressive, unambitious corporate dinosaur. Every bit of green PR they've ever produced, every solemn statement they've made about how important the environment is to them - in short, every bit of greenwash they've employed to try and make themselves look less like money-grubbing pillagers of the natural environment is revealed as a sham. It's pretty pathetic stuff.

Article tagged as: climate change, greenwash, shell, solar power, tar sands, wind power
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Is there a way we can contact the owners of shell, or indeed, its PR department, to register our complaints about this?
Please add a "take action" icon or something to help us get our views across.

By thegingerfurby - 18 March 2009 at 5:02pm
  • 1 person agrees

This announcement underlines that all of Shell's commercials which they used to air were at best pure obfuscation.

You are right everything that they have said about the environment was a sham.

Despite this I am sure that Shell's corporate social responsibility audit and report will give them a glowing report

By Mark Waterfield - 18 March 2009 at 6:46pm
  • 1 person agrees

Why don't we target shell like we did over their involvement in the death of Ken Saro Wiwa? That would hit their wallet which is the only thing likely to change their mind.
Have Fun

By Sadoldhippy - 19 March 2009 at 9:11am
  • 1 person agrees

I suppose we shouldn't be too suprised that big oil companies like investing in 'big oil' - but it's depressing that Shell will probably continue to tout their investments in environmentally problematic biofuels as showing they care about the environment, while quietly ditching wind and solar without public fanfare. (Not that you'd expect any.)

Contact details for Shell UK can be found here.

By christian - 20 March 2009 at 10:56am
  • 1 person agrees

I suppose we should not be surprised. I'm old enough to remember when we were campaigning against Norwegian whaling I met a Norwegian and asked him what he would do when he had killed all the whales and he answered I don't care I will be rich. All this sounds familiar. One day these companies will realise that money will not insulate them from the effects of climate change and they are as vulnerable as the rest of us.
And I agree with your previous correspondents. We need to target Shell about this and expose them for the money grabbing hypocrites they are.

By Burdie - 21 March 2009 at 12:04pm
  • 1 person agrees

Shell, like many of the oil companies are interested in making sure they make good profits out of their investments, also maybe making sure that employees get their salaries and benefits. However, issues like social responsibility comes third or maybe last. They need to be reminded and be given due pressure by concerned government and NGO's.

From Eddie of
Tongkat Ali

By Edie - 1 September 2010 at 2:11pm
  • 1 person agrees

Is there a way we can contact the owners of shell, or indeed, its PR department, to register our complaints about this? Please add a "take action" icon or something to help us get our views across.

By thegingerfurby - 18 March 2009 at 5:02pm
  • 1 person agrees

This announcement underlines that all of Shell's commercials which they used to air were at best pure obfuscation. You are right everything that they have said about the environment was a sham. Despite this I am sure that Shell's corporate social responsibility audit and report will give them a glowing report

By Mark Waterfield - 18 March 2009 at 6:46pm
  • 1 person agrees

Why don't we target shell like we did over their involvement in the death of Ken Saro Wiwa? That would hit their wallet which is the only thing likely to change their mind. Have Fun

By Sadoldhippy - 19 March 2009 at 9:11am
  • 1 person agrees

I suppose we shouldn't be too suprised that big oil companies like investing in 'big oil' - but it's depressing that Shell will probably continue to tout their investments in environmentally problematic biofuels as showing they care about the environment, while quietly ditching wind and solar without public fanfare. (Not that you'd expect any.) Contact details for Shell UK can be found here.

By christian - 20 March 2009 at 10:56am
  • 1 person agrees

I suppose we should not be surprised. I'm old enough to remember when we were campaigning against Norwegian whaling I met a Norwegian and asked him what he would do when he had killed all the whales and he answered I don't care I will be rich. All this sounds familiar. One day these companies will realise that money will not insulate them from the effects of climate change and they are as vulnerable as the rest of us. And I agree with your previous correspondents. We need to target Shell about this and expose them for the money grabbing hypocrites they are.

By Burdie - 21 March 2009 at 12:04pm
  • 1 person agrees

Shell, like many of the oil companies are interested in making sure they make good profits out of their investments, also maybe making sure that employees get their salaries and benefits. However, issues like social responsibility comes third or maybe last. They need to be reminded and be given due pressure by concerned government and NGO's. From Eddie of Tongkat Ali

By Edie - 1 September 2010 at 2:11pm
  • 1 person agrees

All along I've always thought these big oil companies cared for the environment, even just a little. I am so dismayed by this. The people of this earth should be saving it not ruining it! We should all be responsible. Shell will regret this one day. And the day that they will regret, it will be too late for them because they will know that they are one of the culprits of ruining this planet.

By Yesha - 14 September 2010 at 9:21am
  • 1 person agrees

There is one thing oil companies don't understand is that when the last bit oil has been consumed and the last tree has been cut down and all the bee's and insects have become extinct and the last fish has been caught then all the money in the world won't save them from they own stupidity.

By ANDREW INGHAM - 16 September 2010 at 11:08am
  • 2 people agree

You can not keep drilling for oil in places that are enormously important to the whole world and the risk of screwing them (and us) completely. It's crazy. Have we not learned from the Gulf Mensagens para Orkut of Mexico and we all want to ignore the problems until it's too late?

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By veerana - 25 November 2010 at 4:02am
  • 1 person agrees

Oil companies don't care about the enviroment. Just look at bp did they care about the mess they made in the gulf (no). All oil companies want is money that's all. Nothing more than that.So making an complaint to them won't work.They will just laugh at you and tell you to go away

By ANDREW INGHAM - 17 January 2011 at 6:28pm
  • 1 person agrees

Industries such as this need enormous safety regulations forced on them
by governments, with annual inspections paid by the company, provided by
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By Realty - 21 February 2011 at 12:46pm
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By zagam - 22 February 2011 at 7:23am
  • 1 person agrees

Even all the slippery corporate-speak in the world can't obscure that message. In more straightforward language, it might read: "forget the environment; we're in it for the cash."
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