Payments to industry associations
We typically pay annual membership fees to industry associations. Membership fees may be calculated either as fixed fees applicable to all members, or as a proportion of the annual turnover or production volumes of members. In some cases, we make additional payments, for example to sponsor research or an event.
We require industry associations to confirm that Shell funds or resources are not used for payments to political parties, political organisations or their representatives, either directly or indirectly.
In the EU and the USA, we report expenditure associated with our lobbying activities, which includes estimated percentages of industry association costs, in line with the requirements and guidelines set out in the EU Transparency Register and the US Lobbying Disclosure Act, respectively. These submissions are publicly available.[1]
Table 2 provides an overview of the payments we made to nine associations where we found some misalignment in last year’s report. The table does not include Queensland Resources Council (QRC), which we left in 2023.
Shell payments |
Industry associations |
Member of board or executive committee as of December 31, 2023 |
Shell entity that pays membership fee |
|---|---|---|---|
7.5 – <10M |
American Petroleum Institute (API) |
Board, executive committee |
Shell USA, Inc. |
5 – <7.5M |
|
|
|
2.5 – <5M |
|
|
|
1 – <2.5M |
Australian Energy Producers (AEP, formerly APPEA) |
Board[2] |
Shell Australia Pty Ltd |
500,000 – <1M |
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) |
Board |
Shell Oil Products Company LLC |
100,000 – <500,000 |
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) |
Board |
Shell Canada Limited |
50,000 – <100,000 |
Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) |
Board |
Shell USA, Inc. |
0 – <50,000 |
Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) |
None |
Shell Australia Pty Ltd |
[1] In the EU, Shell’s reported estimated annual costs related to activities covered by the register were €4,000,000 to €4,500,000 in 2023. In the USA, Shell’s reported expenses related to lobbying practices were $7,080,000 in 2023. We also provide this information on our website www.shell.com/sustainability/transparency-and-sustainability-reporting/advocacy-and-political-activity/corporate-political-engagement-transparency-statement-and-lobbying-spend.html
[2] Appointments to the board are subject to confirmation by the AEP board.
[3] A Shell employee is a member of IGU’s executive committee but this position is not a Shell-designated position.
