Sustainability governance

Corporate and Social Responsibility Committee

The Corporate and Social Responsibility Committee (CSRC) is one of four standing committees of the Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc. The committee's role is to review and advise on our strategy, policies and performance against the Shell General Business Principles, our Code of Conduct and our Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Social Performance (HSSE&SP) standards.

The CSRC meets regularly to review and discuss a wide range of sustainability-related topics, including our sustainability performance and the results of audits. The committee advises the Remuneration Committee on the sustainable development metrics that apply to the Executive Committee scorecard. The CSRC also reviews major issues of public concern and Shell's strategy to address them.

The committee is assisted and advised by Executive Committee member Harry Brekelmans, with a senior manager acting as secretary to the CSRC. The Chair of the Board, the CEO and senior managers regularly attend CSRC meetings to discuss specific topics.

CSRC priorities

In 2018, the CSRC balanced its time between safety, environment and ethics, with a strong focus throughout on corporate culture and conduct. The topics discussed in depth included personal and process safety, road safety, the energy transition and climate change, Shell’s Net Carbon Footprint, the company’s environmental and societal licence to operate, and its ethics programme. The CSRC also discussed Shell companies’ operations and the challenges faced in Pakistan, Nigeria and the Netherlands. In 2018, the committee held five meetings in person and two meetings by conference call.

The CSRC conducted two major site visits in 2018. In February, the committee visited Nigeria, where over three days it met with Shell staff, government officials, and representatives from local non-governmental organisations to gain a deeper understanding of operations in the Niger Delta. In December, the committee spent a day visiting the Moerdijk facility in the Netherlands, where they discussed process safety performance and local site challenges, including Shell's relationship with the local community.

The CSRC plays an important role in helping to ensure that Shell has effective sustainability governance structures in place throughout the company, along with performance standards and other controls. These help the company to manage risks and opportunities, and shape decisions and actions across all Shell businesses.

In 2018, the members of the committee were:

• Hans Wijers – Chair since May 2015 and stood down as Non-Executive Director in May 2018;
• Sir Nigel Sheinwald – Member since July 2012 and Chair since May 2018;
• Catherine Hughes – Member since November 2017; and
• Linda G. Stuntz – Member since May 2018.

COMMITTEE VOICE

“As the CSRC, we examined many aspects of sustainability across safety, environment and ethics in 2018. Our agenda was focused on the topics of most strategic importance to Shell. We have full access to the senior managers responsible for all aspects of sustainability. We probe and raise challenging questions, drawing on our collective experience, and provide feedback to the company’s management. During site visits, when we see Shell’s operations first-hand, we talk with local management, front-line staff and a wide range of stakeholders to gain a sense of how Shell’s standards are being applied in practice.”

For further details on the Corporate and Social Responsibility Committee and how sustainability is managed at Shell see www.shell.com and our Annual Report.