Air quality

Air quality continues to be embedded in our environmental standards. We follow our own standards and those of local regulators to manage airborne pollutants in our oil and gas production and processing, including emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and volatile organic compounds.

• Our sulphur oxide (SO_x) emissions in 2023 decreased to 31 thousand tonnes, compared with 37 thousand tonnes in 2022 (restated from 36 thousand tonnes, following a review of the performance data). The decrease was mainly because of less flaring at the Shell-operated Scotford Upgrader in Canada and the divestment of Shell-operated Upstream assets in Tunisia.
• Our nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions in 2023 decreased to 88 thousand tonnes from 93 thousand tonnes in 2022. The decrease was partially because of divestments of Shell-operated Upstream assets in Tunisia and the Philippines, and downtime of generators at Shell-operated assets in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Our emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 2023 decreased to 36 thousand tonnes from 37 thousand tonnes in 2022 (restated from 38 thousand tonnes, following a review of the performance data). The decrease was partially because of planned and unplanned downtime of operations at Shell MDS, our GTL (gas-to-liquids) plant in Bintulu, Malaysia.