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Shell prompts financiers to decline shareholder group's climate demands

Shell on Wednesday prompted shareholders to vote versus an independent resolution, cofiled by a group of 27 investors, prompting the energy company to set tighter environment targets.

The resolution, the most significant such drive to date in terms of the size of the participants, is led by activist shareholder Follow This and will be voted on at Shell's yearly general conference on May 21.

In a notice ahead of the AGM, Shell suggested voting versus the resolution, stating it protests both good governance and shareholders' interests, and likewise has negative effects for our clients.

The resolution, submitted by a group of financiers with around $4. trillion under management, urges Shell to align its medium-term. carbon decrease targets with the Paris Environment Agreement,. including emissions from fuels burnt by Shell's customers.

Shell last month compromised a 2030 carbon decrease target and. scrapped a 2035 carbon intensity reduction goal, pointing out. expectations for strong gas need and unpredictability in the energy. transition. The company however declared a plan to cut. emissions to net no by 2050.

Shell's retreat followed a comparable move by rival BP,. in 2015 as lots of governments all over the world decreased the. roll out of environment policies and postponed targets in the middle of skyrocketing. energy expenses and supply issues.

Shell stated the resolution, if approved, would have a. material unfavorable financial effect on the business and its. aspiration to be the investment case through the energy. shift.

On balance, Shell added, the resolution would have a. unfavorable impact on the environment.

Follow This creator Mark van Baal stated that Shell's. rejection of this reasonable ask by 27 of its largest investors. demonstrates the business's intent to remain on collision course. with the Paris Climate Contract.

Shell's own resolution on its energy shift strategy. will be voted on at the AGM.

(source: Reuters)