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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
5.09.2006 ET
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Shell: Sustainability At The Heart Of Our Business
(CSRwire) Royal Dutch Shell plc today released its ninth annual report on its
environmental and social performance. The report underlines the company's
commitment to help meet the world's current and future energy needs in
environmentally and socially responsible ways.
The Shell Sustainability Report 2005 discusses at length the energy
challenge facing the world over the next half-century, which will require
governments, energy users and producers to do three things simultaneously:
meet the increasing demand for energy; keep supplies secure; and reduce
energy's environmental and social impacts.
Launching the report, Chief Executive Jeroen van der Veer said: "I
genuinely believe the world can meet the challenge with the right
combination of technology, investment, partnerships and effective policies
from governments.
"I am convinced there is enough energy to meet growing future demand.
"But this won't be sustainable unless the environmental impacts from
growing fossil fuel use can be managed. They can be and, for the sake of
our grandchildren, they must be.
"I see the potential to develop ways of using fossil fuels so that
increasingly the CO2 produced is captured, stored or used productively,
creating what I call greener fossil fuels. If we can make that work, both
technically and financially, we would be on the way to something really
big and exciting," Mr van der Veer said.
The report describes Shell's contribution to meeting the energy challenge
through increased investment; developing cleaner fuel for the transport
sector; developing alternative sources of electricity; managing greenhouse
gas and other environmental and social impacts from fossil fuels;
maintaining a wide range of oil and natural gas sources from different
regions; and working with governments, vehicle manufacturers and customers
to help align incentives, raise awareness and promote new energy
options.
2005 Report highlights
Shell used an External Review Committee to assess the 2005 report's
balance, completeness and responsiveness, based on the principles of the
AA1000 Assurance Standard. Composed of five international experts in the
environmental and social issues, that matter most to Shell's stakeholders,
this marks a first for Shell and a first for a major oil and gas company.
[See note below for Committee membership].
Shell's actions to manage greenhouse gas emissions gathered pace. The
company cut its own emissions; stepped up research into capturing carbon
dioxide; and revamped its alternative energy strategy focusing on the most
promising technologies: two for transport (biofuel and hydrogen) and two
electricity sources (wind and thin-film solar).
Real progress was made in protecting the environment and meeting the
needs of indigenous people at the Sakhalin II project in Russia.
Despite growing security problems, the Shell-operated joint venture in
Nigeria moved closer to its goal to end continuous flaring in 2009. The
joint venture has reduced flaring volumes by 30% since 2001.
The report discusses openly the mistakes that Shell made in 2005 and its
efforts to learn from them, including its problems on the Corrib project
in Ireland where the company paid too little attention to the community's
concerns about safety and local development.
Shell's reporting is also responding to the diverging needs of different
stakeholders. The 2005 Shell Sustainability Report and supporting websites
are targeted at non-financial external stakeholders. To meet the needs of
shareholders and the financial community, Shell included significantly
more environmental and social information in its 2005 Annual Report/20-F.
For staff, Shell provides a Sustainability Review, focused on what its
commitment means to its employees in practice.
Shell continues to report in accordance with the Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) and the International Petroleum Industry Environmental
Conservation Association guidelines. Shell's contribution to the UN Global
Compact and the Millennium Development Goals is described on the Shell.com
website.
To see the full report please click on www.shell.com/envandsociety
ENQUIRIES:
Shell International Media Relations +44 (0) 20 7934 6238/3453/2713
Notes to Editors
The External Review Committee was chaired by Jermyn Brooks, Executive
Director and CFO of Transparency International. The other members of the
Committee were:
Roger Hammond - Development Director, Living Earth
Margaret Jungk - Director of the Human Rights & Business Development
Department, Danish Institute for Human Rights
Dr Li Lailai - National Programme Director, LEAD, China and Director
of the Institute for Environment and Development in Beijing (LED)
Jonathan Lash - World Resources Institute Their uncensored assessment
is published in the report.
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its
headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New
York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 145
countries with businesses including oil and gas exploration and
production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and Gas to
Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and
chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar power.
For further information, visit http://www.shell.com
Disclaimer statement
This document contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial
condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell plc.
All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be
deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are
statements of future expectations that are based on management's current
expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to
differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements.
Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements
concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and
statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates,
forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements
are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ''anticipate'',
''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''intend'', ''may'',
''plan'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''probably'', ''project'',
''will'', ''seek'', ''target'', ''risks'', ''goals'', ''should'' and
similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect
the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to
differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements
included in this Report, including (without limitation): (a) price
fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for the
Group's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production
results; (e) reserve estimates; (f) loss of market and industry
competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated
with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and
targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions;
(i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries
subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory
developments including potential litigation and regulatory effects arising
from recategorisation of reserves; (k) economic and financial market
conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, project
delay or advancement, approvals and cost estimates; and (m) changes in
trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this
document are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary
statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking
statement speaks only as of the date of this document. Neither Royal Dutch
Shell nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new
information, future events or other information. In light of these risks,
results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred
from the forward-looking statements contained in this document.
Please refer to the Royal Dutch Shell plc's Annual Report on Form 20-F for
the year ended December 31, 2005 for a description of certain important
factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's
businesses.
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