Diversity, equity and inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Our vision is a bold one — to become one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world. A place where everyone — from employees to our customers, partners and suppliers — feels valued, respected and has a strong sense of belonging.

We have set clear goals for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and monitor these regularly. Our CEO and Executive Committee are accountable for progress. Detailed information on progress against our DE&I aspirations can be found at shell.com/DEI.

We are focusing on removing barriers and creating equality of opportunity in four strategic priority areas: gender; race and ethnicity; LGBT+; and disability inclusion and enABLEment.

Gender

As of December 31, 2023, 42% of Shell plc’s Board members were women, compared with 55% in 2022. Additionally, a senior Board position, the Chief Financial Officer, is held by a woman. Representation of women on the Executive Committee rose to 43% at the end of December 2023, from 22% in 2022. As of January 1, 2024, we have more women than men on our Executive Committee.

We are working towards achieving 35% women in our senior leadership positions by 2025 and 40% by 2030. At the end of 2023, 32% of senior leadership were women, up from 30% in 2022.

In 2023, 38% of experienced hires were women, compared with 40% in 2022. Our graduate hires have consistently been 48% or 49% women since 2019, against our 50% ambition. In 2023, 40% of our graduate hires were women, compared with 49% in 2022.

Our overall representation of women in Shell was 35% at the end of 2023, compared with 33% in 2022.

Race and ethnicity

We aim to increase racial and ethnic representation across our workforce so that we better reflect, and support equity in, the communities where we work.

At the end of 2023, Shell plc’s Board had three members who self-identify as ethnic minority, which exceeds the UK’s Parker Review recommendation of at least one. In addition, one of our Executive Committee members self-identifies as being from an ethnic minority group.

In support of the 2023 Parker Review recommendations, by 2027, Shell aims to achieve 15% ethnic minority representation in its senior management [A].

[A] As per the Parker Review, senior management refers to Executive Committee members and senior managers who report directly to them. Ethnic minority refers to an individual who self-identifies as Asian, Black, Mixed/multiple, or other ethnic minority group, in line with the UK Office for National Statistics classifications.

LGBT+

We are working to advance lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender plus (LGBT+) inclusion within Shell and the communities where we work. We promote equal opportunity and create an environment where people feel included, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

We benchmark our initiatives externally. In 2023, Shell was recognised as an "Advocate" in the 2023 Workplace Pride Global benchmark, which is the highest level awarded to companies that stand out as clear leaders in LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion. In the USA, we have received a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality 2023 Index and have been awarded top score every year since 2016.

Disability inclusion and enABLEment

We aim to create an inclusive, psychologically safe and accessible environment where people with disabilities can excel. We provide support and adjustments for people with disabilities during the recruitment process and throughout their careers with Shell, including access to educational resources, training programmes and personal and professional development.

In 2023, we launched a Disability, Accessibility and Inclusion intranet site, which provides comprehensive guidance and tools to help line managers, leaders, people with disabilities and employees to be active allies. Our enABLE employee resource groups provide expertise and advice to Shell leaders and our businesses on accessibility, disability inclusion and enABLEment.

We also offer a workplace accessibility service at 79 locations in 37 countries. The team is supported by functions such as Shell Health, Human Resources, Real Estate, and IT.

We are also providing a better experience for our customers with physical disabilities through an app, delivered by fuelService, that allows any customer with a disability to alert stations in advance and request assistance. As of December 2023, Shell offered the service at more than 8,250 stations in 10 countries. Shell’s partnership with fuelService has been renewed until 2026.

Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at Shell in our 2023 Annual Report and at www.shell.com/DEI.

Read our 2023 Diversity Pay Gap Report for the UK.

Employee engagement and dialogue

Insight into employee needs and perspectives enables Shell to continually learn and improve our policies, processes and practices.

The Shell People Survey is our key measure of employee engagement, motivation, affiliation and commitment to Shell. Internal and external research shows that increased employee engagement results in better business performance and improved safety. In 2023, the response rate to the survey was 88% (up from 87% in 2022). The average employee engagement score was unchanged at 79% from the 2022 level, which is top quartile in comparison with external benchmarks. This score does not include responses from the joint-venture partners who participated voluntarily in the Shell People Survey.

Across Shell, employees have access to the Executive Committee, senior leaders, local employee forums and employee resource groups. These engagements enable Shell to maintain a constructive employee and industrial relations environment.

Management regularly engages with employees through elected employee representatives and a range of local formal and informal channels. These channels include webcasts and all-employee messages from our CEO and other senior leaders, as well as town halls, team meetings and site visits by the Board and senior management.

We respect the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association. Shell respects local law in our efforts to advance labour principles.

Where appropriate, engagement takes place with union representatives at asset and country level, as well as with the Shell European Works Council. In 2023, all our employees had access to an independent channel to raise their employment concerns or grievances. This includes the Shell Global Helpline, unions and local employee forums.