Shell's Social Investment

Shell recognises that linking business with the community is an integral part of sustainable development. Accordingly, we promote a range of fun, educational and culturally stimulating activities to build on the benefits brought to communities by our business activities.

Our contribution to communities begins with the employment we provide for almost 700 New Zealanders. Families throughout the country benefit from salaries paid to Shell employees and contractors, who in turn invest in the community through their spending on goods and services. Shell’s general operating expenditure and investments in infrastructure produce further benefits for the community and the economy, by generating employment and business opportunities for supporting industries.

We choose community support that makes a broad contribution to community life. In the personal welfare sphere we work with the children’s advocacy, education and protection charity Barnardos; in the arts we support the World of Music Art and Dance (WOMAD), have an ongoing relationship with the AK05 Auckland festival, as well as with New Plymouth’s Puke Ariki Museum and library complex; our contribution to the environment is expressed through support for the New Zealand Wildlife Centre; our desire to help breed new business leaders prompts involvement in the Young Enterprise Scheme.

Our support of these activities reflects Shell’s dedication to recognising wider community needs and values, and acknowledges our position in society as a business with an important role to play in sustainable development.

Barnardos is Shell's principal social investment program in New Zealand.

This year, Shell and Barnardos will continue to explore ways to broaden the relationship, and also to energise Shell staff about why Shell and Barnardos work together, and what Barnardos is doing to help future generations of New Zealanders.

Shell HO Staff help to make Barnardos Appeal a success.

Shell New Zealand has supported a broad program of research on business and sustainable development over the last three years through its partnership with the Centre for Business and Sustainable Devleopment at Massey University.

Objectives of the Centre include:

• To raise the profile of sustainable development in New Zealand in business and the broader community, and to contribute to the discourse
• To conduct research on aspects of business and sustainable development that engage the expertise and interest of researchers from all business disciplines
• to conduct specific research investigations with companies that are self-funding

Shell Chairman Paul Zealand says "Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Shell, and it is important that as a company we remain connected with those who continue to move the sustainability thinking forward. Our relationship with Massey University has been invaluable for Shell in New Zealand - making sure we can share the every latest in thinking on sustainable development."

More than 30,000 people attended the three-day World of Music Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival, co-sponsored by Shell New Zeland, held in April at the Brooklands Park in New Plymouth.

For Shell New Zealand, the partnership was once again a great success. It was a good opportunity to positively contribute to Taranki art and culture.

The event fits in with Shell's approach to promoting diversity as it creates an understanding and appreciation of international cultural diversity, through the music and artists that gathered in New Zealand from around the world.

Shell views the sponsorship of this Festival as a very tangible way of ensuring that something of benefit to the whole Auckland community would see the light of day, and so we were happy to come aboard as a sponsor in 2003.  

The Chairman of Auckland Festival Trust, Richard Waddel said "the Auckland Festival Board and staff applaud Shell's involvement. Your support was essential to the creation of a significant festival and allowed us to produce an event which made an important impact on the community."