Our approach to sustainability
Our commitment to contribute to sustainable development has been part of the Shell General Business Principles since 1997. These principles, together with our Code of Conduct, apply to the way we do business and to our conduct with the communities where we operate. We have embedded this sustainability commitment in our Powering Progress strategy, and our business and decision-making processes.
Sustainability reporting boundary and guidelines
Data in the Respecting nature, Powering lives, Safety and Living by our values sections are reported on a 100% basis in respect of activities where a Shell company is the operator (unless noted otherwise). Reporting on an operational control basis differs from that applied for financial reporting purposes in the "Consolidated Financial Statements". Find additional information on our environmental and social performance in our 2023 Shell Sustainability Report expected to be published in March 2024.
Our reporting on sustainability follows certain guidelines. For example:
- As a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, we support its updated criteria for membership from 2022, which include requirements for corporate transparency.
- Our reporting is informed by guidelines developed by Ipieca, the global oil and gas association for advancing environmental and social performance across the energy transition.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Governments are responsible for prioritising and implementing approaches that meet the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We strive to play our part in helping governments and societies achieve the SDGs and these were one of the considerations in the development of our Powering Progress strategy. We believe the actions we take as part of our strategy can help directly contribute to 13 of the SDGs, while indirectly contributing to others.
Board oversight for sustainability
We describe Shell's overall governance framework in the section "Governance framework" and provide information on the roles of the Board, its committees, and the Executive Committee. The Sustainability Committee (SUSCO) is one of the four standing committees of the Board of Directors of Shell plc. The SUSCO's responsibilities are to review the progress of Shell with respect to sustainability and the non-financial elements of our Powering Progress strategy.
See the section "Sustainability Committee" for information about SUSCO and its activities.
The Annual Report on Remuneration provides details of how the Shell scorecard captures key performance indicators for safety, environment and climate.
