How sustainability works at Shell
Sustainability at Shell means providing energy in a responsible manner, respecting people, their safety and the environment.
Our approach to sustainability starts with our goal to run a safe, efficient, responsible and profitable business. We work to share wider benefits where we operate. Shell’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people – first laid out in the Shell General Business Principles 40 years ago – underpin everything we do. A commitment to contribute to sustainable development was added in 1997. These principles apply to the way we do business and to our conduct with the communities where we operate.
Integrating sustainability
When we invest in energy projects, we seek to balance the short- and long-term interests of our business. For investment decisions, we consider the economic, social and environmental risks and opportunities as well as the political and technical risks. Our commitment to safety, the environment and communities plays a crucial role in how we plan, design and operate projects and facilities.
Our approach to sustainability is integrated across our business activities on three levels.
Running a safe, efficient, responsible and profitable business
Safeguarding and respecting people – our employees, contractors and neighbours – is fundamental to how we do business. This includes having global standards, processes and tools in place to manage safety, the environment and how we engage with communities. We aim to continuously improve the way we operate to prevent incidents and to identify, avoid where possible and minimise adverse environmental and social impacts.
Sharing wider benefits where we operate
We plan our business for the long term, which means we can be part of a community for decades. We help to develop local economies by creating jobs, sourcing from local suppliers, and paying taxes and royalties. We support community projects that are based on the needs of the local communities.
Helping to shape a more sustainable energy future
In the coming decades, more and cleaner energy will be needed for economic development in the face of growing environmental pressures. We are investing in low-carbon energy solutions and advanced technologies, such as those that increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions. We continue to contribute to the public dialogue on energy and climate policy. Yet the scale of the global challenges that the world faces are too great for one company, or one sector, to resolve. We advocate that businesses, governments and civil society work together to shape a more sustainable energy future.
