How we report on sustainable development

Our reporting

We use our Sustainability Report, and this website to provide a general overview of our environmental and social performance for key stakeholders. These include local communities, non-governmental organisations, shareholders, investors, customers, partners, governments, employees, media, academics, contractors and suppliers.

For investors we report on our approach to managing environmental and social risks and opportunities in the Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20F 2012. We also co-operate with the producers of leading indices such as the Carbon Disclosure Project and other organisations that help investors understand the economic, environmental and social performance of companies.

Content selection

Our reporting focuses on the environmental and social challenges that matter most to our key stakeholders. We use a thorough process to select content for our reporting based on information from internal and external sources.

External guidelines

We report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3.1 guidelines for our sustainability reporting. GRI confirmed our A+ level for the Shell Sustainability Report 2012, the Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20F 2011 and information on this website. We also follow the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) guidelines and are supporting the GRI’s work on guidance for the oil and gas industry.

Shell supports the UN Global Compact and its 10 principles covering human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Sections of our Sustainability Report cover Shell’s progress in 2012 in these areas. Further details are on this website as well as our contribution to the Millennium Development Goals.

Assurance

Our Shell Sustainability Report 2012 as a whole was not subject to external assurance for the accuracy of the information provided. Instead, we continue to use an External Review Committee of seven independent experts to check that our Sustainability Report is balanced, relevant and responsive to stakeholders. The Committee provides advice and challenge to ensure our reporting is accurate and balanced. We rotate members out of the Committee each year to manage demands on committee members’ time, and to ensure continuity and fresh perspectives.

Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd has provided limited assurance of our direct greenhouse gas emissions data for 2012.