Selecting the topics

The 2021 Sustainability Report, published on April 5, 2022, is our 25th such report. It details our social, safety and environmental performance in 2021.

Each year we use a structured process to select the report’s content. We engage with various groups and individuals to understand specific concerns about our business and its impact, particularly relating to the environment and society. We consider the views of others such as non-governmental organisations, customers, the media, academics, investors and employees.  

Input from our Report Review Panel of independent experts helps to ensure that coverage is balanced, relevant and complete.

Read more about our topic selection process at www.shell.com/sustainability/transparency-and-sustainability-reporting/sustainability-reports.

Reporting guidelines 

We report in line with guidelines developed by IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core option (see GRI index for full details). It is also the document we use to communicate our progress in supporting the principles of the UN Global Compact.

As a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, we support the organisation’s updated criteria for membership from 2022, which includes requirements for corporate transparency.

The recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) help to guide and inform our reporting in our Annual Report.

In January 2021, we agreed to adopt the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, a set of environmental, social and governance metrics released by the World Economic Forum and its International Business Council.

More detailed information about how we report is available at www.shell.com/sustainability/sustainability-reporting-and-performance-data/voluntary-reporting-standards-and-esg-ratings.