
Shell reageert op brief van Milieudefensie
Shell plc ontving op 13 mei 2025 een brief van Milieudefensie waarin zij verdere juridische stappen aankondigt in verband met de voortdurende investeringen in olie- en gasontwikkeling en het klimaatbeleid van het bedrijf. Shell heeft inmiddels gereageerd op de brief van Milieudefensie.
Shell stelt dat de beschuldigingen fundamenteel onjuist zijn. Zoals in de reactie wordt aangegeven, zullen aanzienlijke investeringen in olie- en gasontwikkeling nodig zijn om de leveringszekerheid en betaalbaarheid van energie in de komende jaren te waarborgen. Ondertussen worden CO2-arme alternatieven ontwikkeld en commercieel beschikbaar gemaakt. Lees onze volledige reactie hier.
"Wij gaan voor een gebalanceerde energietransitie, waarin energie ook betaalbaar en toegankelijk blijft", zegt Frans Everts, president-directeur van Shell Nederland. "Tegelijkertijd investeren we in het energiesysteem van morgen. Wereldwijd hebben we miljarden geïnvesteerd in de energietransitie, waarvan een groot deel in Nederland."
Wat betreft de eerdere rechtszaak van Milieudefensie tegen Shell plc: deze werd op 12 november 2024 volledig afgewezen door het Gerechtshof Den Haag. Milieudefensie is in cassatie gegaan bij de Hoge Raad. Shell heeft op dit moment geen verplichtingen jegens Milieudefensie op basis van het arrest van het hof.
Noot
- Wereldwijd heeft Shell ongeveer 20 miljard dollar geïnvesteerd in platforms voor koolstofarme energie, waaronder koolstofarme brandstoffen, waterstof, het afvangen en opslaan van CO2, en elektriciteit (zowel hernieuwbare opwekking als gasgestookte centrales). In Nederland heeft Shell de afgelopen jaren zo'n 6,5 miljard euro geïnvesteerd, waarmee het een van de grootste private investeerders in de Nederlandse energietransitie is.
- Shell boekt goede vooruitgang in het verminderen van haar emissies: eind 2024 had het bedrijf 60% van haar Scope 1- en 2-doelstelling bereikt om de emissies van haar eigen operaties tegen 2030 te halveren (ten opzichte van 2016). Shell blijft ook een van de koplopers in het terugdringen van methaanemissies (met een vermindering van de eigen uitstoot met 76% sinds 2016) en bereikte eerder dit jaar haar doelstelling om routinematig affakkelen volledig te beëindigen.
Dossier: Shell en de Klimaatzaak
Shell is het met Milieudefensie eens dat dringende actie nodig is om klimaatverandering tegen te gaan. We hebben alleen een andere kijk op hoe dat doel moet worden bereikt. Wij geloven niet dat een gerechtelijke uitspraak tegen één bedrijf de juiste oplossing is voor de overgang naar schonere energie.
Cautionary note
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The term “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cybersecurity breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, June 13, 2024. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.
Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward-looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.
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We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov