Millennium Development Goals

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Modern energy can reduce the reliance on fuel wood that puts considerable pressure on forests. Moving from traditional biomass to more efficient fuels can reduce emissions and local pollution. But meeting growing energy demand presents its own environmental challenges. Environmental impacts of energy operations, products and services must be minimised – including the risks to the climate and biodiversity.

What is Shell doing?

1. Core business activities

Reducing the environmental impacts of our operations:  All Shell companies and joint ventures where we have a controlling interest must apply our Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Standard and  Minimum environmental standards  and have an HSE management system in place. We set targets to address our major environmental impacts and annually report our performance. Learn more about our environmental performance.
 

Climate change: Shell was one of the first energy companies to acknowledge the threat of climate change; to call for action by governments, our industry and energy users; and to take action ourselves. We:

• manage our greenhouse gas emissions (to at least 5% below 1990 levels by 2010)
• support government policies that that reward lower CO2 technologies and create a predictable, long-term cost for emitting GHGso 
• help customers reduce their emissions by providing more natural gas and advanced transport fuels (see below)
• invest in technology to capture and store CO2 from fossil fuels
• work to build at least one large-scale business in alternative energy. Learn more about climate change.
  

Biodiversity:  We were the first energy company to adopt a biodiversity standard. It requires us to respect protected sites, work with others to maintain ecosystems and seek partnerships to conserve biodiversity. We committed not to explore or develop for oil and natural gas in natural World Heritage Sites. Learn more about biodiversity.

Water: The world’s fresh water systems are under intense pressure. We are committed to handling water in a responsible and sustainable way.  Discover more about water use.

Offering customers cleaner products. We help customers reduce their GHG emissions by providing options for lower CO2 electricity and transport. See how we are helping our customers reduce their emissions.

Developing alternative energies: Shell Renewables aims to have a substantial commercial business in at least one alternative energy technology.
 

• We have one of the broadest alternative energy portfolios of any major energy company
  
  
• Shell wind is a major wind power develop, with stakes in projects generating 850MW of capacity (415MW Shell share). See  www.shell.com/wind.
  
  
• We are one of the world’s leading distributors of biofuels. See  www.shell.com/biofuels. 
  
  
• We are developing thin film solar to drive down the costs of turning sunlight into electricity See  www.shell.com/solar.
  
  
• We have four demonstration hydrogen filling stations in four countries. See  www.shell.com/hydrogen.

Read more at  www.shell.com/renewables.

2. Social investment

Supporting environmental and conservation initiatives: See examples of biodiversity and water programmes at  www.shell.com/biodiversity and  www.shell.com/water.

3. Partnerships, policy dialogue and advocacy

Participating in trade associations:

We participate in a number of trade associations promoting environmental sustainability including: 
 

• International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association: a voluntary non-profit organisation addressing global environmental and social issues related to the petroleum industry. Visit the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association's website at  www.ipieca.org - opens in a new window.
  
  
• The Oil Companies International Marine Forum: a voluntary association of oil companies with the mission of being the foremost authority on the safe and environmentally responsible operation of oil tankers and terminals. Visit the The Oil Companies International Marine Forum's website at  www.ocimf.com - opens in a new window.
  
  
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development: a coalition of 180 international companies committed to sustainable development. Visit World Business Council for Sustainable Development's website at   www.wbcsd.org - opens in a new window.
  

• Supporting international codes that cover environmental responsibilities: United Nations Global Compact, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ICC Business Charter on Sustainable Development.
  See Shell and external voluntary codes.
  

Participating in partnerships promoting environmental sustainability including: 
 

• Asia Clean Air Initiative: A regional partnership of cities, national government agencies, industry, NGOs, the World Bank, academia, international development agencies and foundations to address air quality issues in Asia. Visit the Asia Clean Air Initiative's website at  www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia - opens in new window
  
  
• Clean Fuels and Vehicles Partnership (UNEP): Bringing together Governments, intergovernmental organisations, major groups, and industry to reduce vehicular air pollution in developing countries through the promotion of clean fuels and vehicles. Visit the Clean Fuels and Vehicles Partnership's website - opens in a new window.
  
  
• EMBARQ - The World Resources Institute Center for Transport and the Environment: Established with the support of the Shell Foundation to act as a catalyst for socially, financially, and environmentally sound solutions to urban mobility problems. Visit www.embarq.wri.org - opens in a new window.
  
  
• Energy and Biodiversity Initiative: Bringing energy companies and conservation organisations together to develop and promote best practice for integrating biodiversity conservation into oil and gas development. Visit the Energy and Biodiversity Initiative's website at www.theebi.org - opens in a new window.
  
  
• The Global Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership: Helping national governments and the petroleum industry to reduce flaring and venting of gas. Shell is a founding partner and sponsor, and participates on the steering committee. For more information on visit the  World Bank' page on Global Gas Flaring Reduction - opens in a new window.
  
  
• Renewable energy and efficiency partnership: A coalition of governments, businesses and organisations committed to accelerating the development of renewable and energy efficiency systems. Visit the Renewable energy and efficiency partnership's website at  www.reeep.org - opens in a new window.