 The Shell General Business Principles have existed in their written form since 1976, and have remained highly consistent ever since, because the core values on which the Principles were originally based have endured. The changes are largely revisions rather than radical alterations as the existing principles still represent the way Shell wishes to do business, but some areas have been strengthened. We have eight Principles, which apply to all our business affairs and describe the behaviour expected of every employee. The Principles are based on our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people. They also indicate how we promote trust, openness, teamwork and professionalism, and pride in what we do. As a global group of companies we have a responsibility to be a good corporate citizen: to listen and respond to all points of view. The key changes in Shell and in society that have now to be taken into account in revising the principles this year are: - The emphasis on compliance
- Growing concern about security post 9/11
- Emphasis on social performance and engagement with communities
- Diversity and inclusiveness
- Shell’s Enterprise First values and behaviours
- A focus on dialogue as opposed to the dissemination of information
- Development of sustainable development principles
- Clarity on treatment of facilitation payments.
All Shell companies are expected to comply with the Principles as a matter of course. In joint ventures, we use our influence to persuade our partners to adopt and apply principles consistent with ours. We also expect contractors to conform to the Principles in all aspects of their work with Shell companies. A principled approach to business is a key to Shell’s long-term success. Download  the revised Shell General Business Principles (PDF, size 1.5Mb) - opens in new window. PDF files - Accessibility For information on downloading PDF files, please visit our  Accessibility Help page.
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