Archived press release

Shell environment report condemned as 'greenwash'

6 May 1997

The publication today by Shell of its report on Health, Safety and Environment was met with accusations of hypocrisy from Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). The commitment in the report to the principle of sustainable development cannot be taken seriously while Shell continues to oppose action to tackle the biggest environmental threat of all - global climate change.

Shell is a member of the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), a powerful lobbying front for the fossil fuel industry, which is scuppering international agreements on cutting greenhouse gas emissions at key climate talks this year [1], in an attempt to protect the interests of the fossil fuel sector.

Shell's stated support in the report for 'prudent precautionary measures' [2] to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is in direct contradiction to the position of the GCC, which wants governments to reject such measures until there is absolute certainty about the science of climate change. The GCC claims that such action would be premature and would have serious economic impacts.

FOEI supports the view of more than 2,000 economists that action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions can bring economic as well as environmental benefits [3]. FOEI is supporting a proposal by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) for industrialised nations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2005, but GCC members such as Shell are blocking this proposal.

Anna Stanford, Climate Change Campaigner at FOEI, said:

"Shell must make its mind up. Either it is committed to sustainable development or it is siding with the fossil fuel lobby to prevent action to stop climate change.If Shell is truly committed to the environment it must terminate its membership of the Global Climate Coalition."

Shell's research into renewable energy, such as biomass and photovoltaics, carries little credibility while it lobbies against policies that would enable the full potential for renewable energy to be developed.

FOEI will be demonstrating at Shell's Annual General Meeting on 14 May and will be asking Shell to withdraw from the GCC. FOEI is also asking insurance companies who invest in Shell and who stand to suffer from the impacts of changing weather patterns to withdraw funds from Shell, and will be demonstrating at the Annual General Meeting of the Prudential Company on Thursday 8 May.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] In December 1997, the signatories to the Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet for the third Conference of the Parties (COP3) in Kyoto, Japan. Governments will consider proposals for the future implementation of the Convention including targets for the reduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (and possible other greenhouse gases) within specified time frames.

[2] Page 20 of Health, Safety and Environment Report, published today.

[3] In February 1997, 2000 economists from across the political spectrum, including six Nobel laureates, signed a statement arguing that "preventable steps are justified" and that"policy options are available that would slow climate change without harming employment or US living standards, and these may be economically beneficial in the long-run".

[Index]

---

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust