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Shell boss worried about climate change
17 June 2004
Friends of the Earth has welcomed today's admission by Ron Oxburgh, chairman of Shell, that climate change makes him "really very worried for the planet", and called on the company to take urgent action to reduce its impacts.
Lord Oxburgh told today's Guardian that "no one can be comfortable at the prospect of continuing to pump out the amount of carbon dioxide that we are pumping out at present…with consequences that we really can't predict but are probably not good."
Friends of the Earth's director Tony Juniper said:
"We are pleased that Shell appears to realise the serious threat posed by global climate change. But its core business is the production of fossil fuels - the major cause of the problem.Last year it claimed to have produced more oil and gas than ever before. If Lord Roxburgh really wants to tackle climate change,Shell must stop investing in new oil projects, such as in Sakhalin, Russia, stop the insane practice o9f gas-flaring and switch to alternative, renewable sources of power instead. Until it gets out of fossil fuels, Shell will continue to be a major part of the problem."
Mr Oxburgh called for a mass programme of carbon sequestration, where carbon would be captured and stored underground.
Tony Juniper continued:
"Technical fixes such as sequestration may have a role to play but are likely to prove more expensive and less effective than simple measures to reduce emissions such as more fuel efficient vehicles and renewable sources of energy. Shell must realise that we need to tackle the core of the problem. There's no point in bailing out the basement while there's holes in the roof."
The latest Shell Report says that its emissions of greenhouse gases rose by 6 per cent in 2003.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
