Managing emissions from our operations is important and our direct responsibility. But more than 80% of the CO2 from fossil fuels is emitted when energy products are used.
We recognise that our response to climate change means more than reducing our own emissions. Our customers emit six to seven times more CO2 using our products than we do making them - more than 750 million tonnes of CO2 in a typical year.
We are helping our customers use energy more efficiently through programmes like Energise™ for industrial energy users and the Fuel Stretch Campaign and Shell Fuel Economy challenge for drivers. It also means providing lower CO2 emitting energy products, so the rapid rise in energy use does not bring an equally big increase in GHG emissions. Developing advanced transport fuels, like Fuel Economy formula, that reduce fuel consumption, will help. So will expanding our natural gas business and our efforts to lower the costs and increase the use of biofuels, wind and solar power. Since a lot more coal, oil and gas will still be needed, including oil from energy intensive sources like oil sands, developing efficient ways to capture and 
safely store the CO2 from fossil fuels will also be critical for energy users to reduce their GHG emissions.
Lower CO2 electricity
Providing clean-burning natural gas is one of our biggest contributions to slowing the growth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the power sector. Gas-fired power plants produce about half the CO2 emissions of a conventional coal-fired plant. In addition, our patented coal gasification technology, used together with combined cycle power plants, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15% compared to the latest conventional coal-fired power plants.
More about lower CO2 electricity.
Lower CO2 transport
Transport will continue to rely mainly on oil for many years to come. Reductions in GHG emissions in the transport sector will need to come mainly from blending biofuels into petrol and diesel, from technologies to improve the fuel efficiency of conventional fuels and vehicles, and from managing demand. Government policies that reward lower CO2 technology will be critical for success.
More about lower CO2 transport.
→ Shell Sustainability Report 2006
Visit the online Shell Sustainability Report 2006 and discover what we say about climate change - opens in a new window.