Social performance
Many of our operations are located close to communities. We work with them to understand their priorities and concerns. Managing our impact on people is essential to being a responsible company.
Highlights in 2016
- Shell co-funded pilot projects in China with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to give 250,000 households access to clean cooking fuels. (See also Investing in communities)
- Entrepreneurs behind a Shell LiveWIRE-funded UK start-up, which gives communities in Africa access to safe drinking water using profits from the sale of bottles, pitched their idea to the US President. (See also Investing in communities)
- Shell successfully completed the resettlement of around 1,850 people close to operations in Kazakhstan after consulting with local communities. (See also Investing in communities)
Our projects and operations can impact our neighbours. Our social performance team, working with environmental specialists, assesses and manages the impact of Shell’s business to ensure that work is carried out in a responsible way. The team also contributes to building skills in the communities where we operate by supporting education and training programmes, and by encouraging the development of local businesses.
We apply both local laws and the principles of international law in our work. Shell’s Control Framework uses international standards as a benchmark, such as those set out by the International Finance Corporation.
Assessing our impact
Shell conducts an environmental, social and health impact assessment for all major projects to understand the positive and negative effects that the project is likely to have on the surrounding environment and the local communities. Shell’s internal specialists as well as consultants and scientific advisors help project teams understand the impact on land, livelihood and culture, to respect human rights, and to interpret and apply local and international standards.
