Dear All,
Great news! After less than two weeks of campaigning, Waitrose have seen the light and abandoned their plans to expand their relationship with Shell. Full details in the press release below.
**Please now call off any Waitrose events you had lined up** and close down all other Waitrose related activities, including online campaigning and blogging etc.
THANKS to Chris, Harry,Sue,Suze, Wilf & Zoe S & our Polar Bear for enabling The Bristol GREENPEACE Group to play their part at Waitrose Clifton [Saturday 1stDecember] & Waitrose Henleaze [Sunday 2nd December 2012].
HOWEVER there is still plenty to do: Shell petrol station protests, Arctic Scroll sign ups GALLERIES THIS SATURDAY 15th DECEMBDER ;and Arctic outreach events[see Group minutes], not to mention the Flag for the Future project, materials for which are on their way to you this week.
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WAITROSE - GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
Greenpeace claims Arctic win as Waitrose puts Shell deal on ice
Retail giant's support for Arctic sanctuary a blow to oil drillers' plans.
Greenpeace was celebrating a victory for the Arctic today as Waitrose announced it was putting the brakes on plans to expand its partnership with
Shell - the oil giant planning to drill for oil in the Arctic - after just ten days of intense campaigning by the environmental group.
The UK retail giant had been considering plans to open up shops in Shell petrol stations across the country, but yesterday Waitrose bosses confirmed the roll-out of the forecourt partnership has been put on ice until after
2013.
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WAITROSE - GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
Greenpeace claims Arctic win as Waitrose puts Shell deal on ice
Retail giant's support for Arctic sanctuary a blow to oil drillers' plans.
Greenpeace was celebrating a victory for the Arctic today as Waitrose announced it was putting the brakes on plans to expand its partnership with
Shell - the oil giant planning to drill for oil in the Arctic - after just ten days of intense campaigning by the environmental group.
The UK retail giant had been considering plans to open up shops in Shell petrol stations across the country, but yesterday Waitrose bosses confirmed the roll-out of the forecourt partnership has been put on ice until after
2013.
They also declared their support for the creation of an Arctic sanctuary under the aegis of the United Nations - a move that would throw a serious spanner in the works of Shell's plans to drill for oil in the frozen north.
Waitrose's decision comes after ten difficult days for the company's public image right at the start of the crucial Christmas period. Nearly 40,000 people have signed a Greenpeace petition urging Waitrose to break off the
partnership with Shell, and the company suffered a Facebook PR meltdown last week as hundreds of users posted negative comments about the business alliance.
Greenpeace also released a spoof of the Waitrose Christmas ad that has been watched by thousands of people on YouTube.
The move by the popular High Street brand will come as a further blow to Shell's reputation. The oil giant has come under scrutiny after a series of bungled attempts to start explorative drilling in the Arctic earlier in the year.
Waitrose's decision comes after ten difficult days for the company's public image right at the start of the crucial Christmas period. Nearly 40,000 people have signed a Greenpeace petition urging Waitrose to break off the
partnership with Shell, and the company suffered a Facebook PR meltdown last week as hundreds of users posted negative comments about the business alliance.
Greenpeace also released a spoof of the Waitrose Christmas ad that has been watched by thousands of people on YouTube.
The move by the popular High Street brand will come as a further blow to Shell's reputation. The oil giant has come under scrutiny after a series of bungled attempts to start explorative drilling in the Arctic earlier in the year.
A cross-party group of MPs subsequently called for a halt to oil exploration in the Arctic, warning that a spill would have 'devastatingconsequences for wildlife' in this pristine environment.
Only a few daysago, Shell's Alaska vice president, Pete Slaiby, admitted such accidents will be likely to happen.
Waitrose opened two stores in Shell forecourts last year with a view to roll out the 'new joint format' more widely. A Shell brochure published in summer stated that 'the plan is to expand [the project] later this year' (1). But
in an email exchange with Greenpeace, Waitrose managing director Mark Price confirmed that his company has no plans to expand beyond the current pilot scheme next year and no financial provisions for this have been put in
place.
In a separate letter to Greenpeace the Waitrose boss also stated that the company 'share[s] the view that the Arctic should be declared a sanctuary by the United Nations' - a status which, if granted, would make the polar
region off limits to oil drillers like Shell.
Greenpeace campaigner Sara Ayech said:
"Greenpeace wholeheartedly welcomes Waitrose's support for the creation of an Arctic sanctuary, and many ethically-minded customers will be relieved to hear the company has put the brakes on its partnership with environment villain Shell.
"Waitrose's move sends a powerful signal to other major brands that a wad of oil-drenched cash from Arctic drillers like Shell comes with a hidden price tag in terms of reputational costs.
"Shell is desperate to 'greenwash' its soiled brand in the cleaner waters of reputable companies, but the thought of the incalculable damage wreaked by an oil spill in the pristine Arctic environment should be enough to make prospective partners think twice." [ENDS]
Notes to Editors
(1) From Shell World (Summer 2012):
http://www-static.shell.com/static/gbr/downloads/about_shell/swuk/swuk_summer_2012.pdf
Waitrose opened two stores in Shell forecourts last year with a view to roll out the 'new joint format' more widely. A Shell brochure published in summer stated that 'the plan is to expand [the project] later this year' (1). But
in an email exchange with Greenpeace, Waitrose managing director Mark Price confirmed that his company has no plans to expand beyond the current pilot scheme next year and no financial provisions for this have been put in
place.
In a separate letter to Greenpeace the Waitrose boss also stated that the company 'share[s] the view that the Arctic should be declared a sanctuary by the United Nations' - a status which, if granted, would make the polar
region off limits to oil drillers like Shell.
Greenpeace campaigner Sara Ayech said:
"Greenpeace wholeheartedly welcomes Waitrose's support for the creation of an Arctic sanctuary, and many ethically-minded customers will be relieved to hear the company has put the brakes on its partnership with environment villain Shell.
"Waitrose's move sends a powerful signal to other major brands that a wad of oil-drenched cash from Arctic drillers like Shell comes with a hidden price tag in terms of reputational costs.
"Shell is desperate to 'greenwash' its soiled brand in the cleaner waters of reputable companies, but the thought of the incalculable damage wreaked by an oil spill in the pristine Arctic environment should be enough to make prospective partners think twice." [ENDS]
Notes to Editors
(1) From Shell World (Summer 2012):
http://www-static.shell.com/static/gbr/downloads/about_shell/swuk/swuk_summer_2012.pdf
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