For the first time ever, the executives from four major oil companies and two of the industry’s most powerful front groups testified before Congress about their decades-long effort to spread climate disinformation and block legislation that would reduce US dependence on fossil fuels.
Republicans vehemently opposed the premise of Thursday’s House oversight hearing. Yet within the first round of GOP questioning, led by one of the industry’s staunchest defenders, ranking committee member James Comer of Kentucky, the executives inadvertently proved why they were summoned to testify under oath in the first place.
There can be no doubt that Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP have all engaged in false advertising, aka disinformation campaigns, during the tenure of their current CEOs. In fact, one could argue that the vast majority of the industry’s advertising fits this definition.
Take Exxon. For years, Exxon has been spending millions of dollars to run ads about its investments in algae fuel, even though it has spent very little on the actual research and has no plan to bring the product to market. The company hopes to create a “net impression” among consumers that Exxon is in the business of climate solutions, when it’s really still in the business of climate destruction. It’s textbook false advertising – which is one reason Exxon is being taken to court for this disinformation.
Read more at:
Big oil CEOs just lied before Congress. It’s time they’re held accountable | Jamie Henn | The Guardian
Showing posts with label Shell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shell. Show all posts
10/29/21
6/15/21
The Netherlands: People v Shell: from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to legal accountability – by Alejandro GarcÃa Esteban and Jill McArdle
In a historic victory for climate justice, in late May a Dutch civil court held a corporation liable for the first time for its contribution to climate change. The ruling that the oil giant Shell must reduce its global carbon-dioxide emissions by 45 per cent from 2019 levels by 2030 is a game-changer for corporate accountability and our future on this planet.
The decision sets a precedent for litigation against slow-moving polluters. Not only has it opened new legal avenues for climate action. The judges clearly spelt out that companies have an individual responsibility to combat climate change, because of its severe impacts on human rights.
Read more at: People v Shell: from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to legal accountability – Alejandro GarcÃa Esteban and Jill McArdle
The decision sets a precedent for litigation against slow-moving polluters. Not only has it opened new legal avenues for climate action. The judges clearly spelt out that companies have an individual responsibility to combat climate change, because of its severe impacts on human rights.
Read more at: People v Shell: from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to legal accountability – Alejandro GarcÃa Esteban and Jill McArdle
5/29/21
The Netherlands: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell
A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to significantly deepen planned greenhouse gas emission cuts, in a landmark ruling that could pave the way for legal action against energy companies around the world. read more
Shell said it was "disappointed" by the ruling which it plans to appeal.
Here are some key points about the ruling:
WHAT WAS THE RULING? The district court ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Shell currently aims to reduce the carbon intensity of products it sells by 20% over the same period from a 2016 baseline.
DOES THE RULING AFFECT SHELL'S GLOBAL OPERATIONS? Yes. The reduction relates to Shell's global operations and is not limited to the Netherlands, the court ruling said. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR SHELL? The ruling said that "it is up to RDS (Royal Dutch Shell) to design the reduction obligation, taking account of its current obligations and other relevant circumstances." Shell earlier this year announced a strategy to become a net zero emissions company by 2050, meaning its absolute emissions will also be net zero at that point. It has stated that it believes its emissions peaked in 2018.[USN:L1N2KH0LV] ABSOLUTE TARGETS VS INTENSITY TARGETS? The court ordered Shell to reduce absolute emissions by 45%. Shell's short and medium-term targets are intensity based. Intensity-based targets measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy produced. That means that absolute emissions can rise with growing production, even if the headline intensity metric falls. At its annual general meeting this month, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden rejected setting absolute reduction targets, saying: "Reducing absolute emissions at this point in time is predominantly possible by shrinking the business."
HOW BIG ARE SHELL'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? Shell, the world's largest oil and gas trader, produced 1.38 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020, roughly 4.5% of global energy-related emissions that year, based on International Energy Agency figures. Shell's 2020 emissions were down from 1.65 billion tonnes the previous year, largely as a result of a fall in oil and gas demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More at: Explainer: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell | Reuters
Shell said it was "disappointed" by the ruling which it plans to appeal.
Here are some key points about the ruling:
WHAT WAS THE RULING? The district court ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Shell currently aims to reduce the carbon intensity of products it sells by 20% over the same period from a 2016 baseline.
DOES THE RULING AFFECT SHELL'S GLOBAL OPERATIONS? Yes. The reduction relates to Shell's global operations and is not limited to the Netherlands, the court ruling said. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR SHELL? The ruling said that "it is up to RDS (Royal Dutch Shell) to design the reduction obligation, taking account of its current obligations and other relevant circumstances." Shell earlier this year announced a strategy to become a net zero emissions company by 2050, meaning its absolute emissions will also be net zero at that point. It has stated that it believes its emissions peaked in 2018.[USN:L1N2KH0LV] ABSOLUTE TARGETS VS INTENSITY TARGETS? The court ordered Shell to reduce absolute emissions by 45%. Shell's short and medium-term targets are intensity based. Intensity-based targets measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy produced. That means that absolute emissions can rise with growing production, even if the headline intensity metric falls. At its annual general meeting this month, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden rejected setting absolute reduction targets, saying: "Reducing absolute emissions at this point in time is predominantly possible by shrinking the business."
HOW BIG ARE SHELL'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? Shell, the world's largest oil and gas trader, produced 1.38 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020, roughly 4.5% of global energy-related emissions that year, based on International Energy Agency figures. Shell's 2020 emissions were down from 1.65 billion tonnes the previous year, largely as a result of a fall in oil and gas demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More at: Explainer: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell | Reuters
11/12/17
The Netherlands: New government under pressure over dividend tax ' corporate blackmail' claims
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| Rutte:"Being good to corporations is good for Holland" |
The move to scrap the tax, which will cost the treasury €1.4bn and only benefit foreign firms, was not included in any of the party manifestos and has been condemned by opposition parties.
Broadcaster NOS reported earlier on Thursday that it had been told Anglo Dutch firms Shell and Unilever and two other companies had urged the new coalition to scrap the tax. ‘There was a real threat that a couple of bigger Dutch firms would go to London,’
NOS correspondent Ron Fresen said. Shell and Unilever have headquarters in both the Netherlands and Britain and both have been considering their position in a post-Brexit economy. Shell said on Wednesday it welcomed the new government’s decision.
It has campaigned for the tax to be scrapped for at least 10 years. Unilever has said it will decide by the end of the year whether or not to keep its dual headquarter structure. The company has also said that it is pleased with all measures which strengthen the Netherlands’ position as an international business centre. Jobs
Prime minister Mark Rutte has said repeatedly that the measure is needed to keep jobs and to make sure the Netherlands remains an attractive location for foreign firms.
However, leading economists and the government’s own macro-economic think-tank CPB have also questioned the move. During Thursday’s debate, GroenLinks (Greens) popular leader Jesse Klaver said the government had laid itself open to being ‘blackmailed’ by big companies.
Read more: New government under pressure over dividend tax 'blackmail' claims - DutchNews.nl
11/9/17
The Netherlands: Dutch government under fire over tax cuts favoring big business - by Bart H. Meijer &Toby Sterling
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| Mark Rutte copies Trump's Tax Proposals favoring corporations |
Shell
confirmed to Reuters it had sought the change, while Philips denied it.
Akzo Nobel declined to comment.
Unilever would not say whether it asked for the change but it “welcomes measures that improve the business climate in countries where we operate.”
Akzo Nobel declined to comment.
Unilever would not say whether it asked for the change but it “welcomes measures that improve the business climate in countries where we operate.”
Prime
Minister Mark Rutte has said the policy will help the country retain its
appeal to foreign investors as it cuts other tax perks in response to
concerns that Dutch tax policies have helped multinationals avoid paying
fair taxes.
Note EU-Digest: Dutch PM Rutte (Conservative) seems to have copied the new US Tax proposals from the Trump Administration, favoring Corporations above the average taxpayers. To make matters worse Dutch tax payers will now pay 9% instead of 6% Vat Tax, on products they buy in the store and super markets. And like Trump, he has also increased the military budget. One should question if PM Rutte is aware that he lives in the Netherlands (EU) and not in the US.?
Note EU-Digest: Dutch PM Rutte (Conservative) seems to have copied the new US Tax proposals from the Trump Administration, favoring Corporations above the average taxpayers. To make matters worse Dutch tax payers will now pay 9% instead of 6% Vat Tax, on products they buy in the store and super markets. And like Trump, he has also increased the military budget. One should question if PM Rutte is aware that he lives in the Netherlands (EU) and not in the US.?
Rutte's government is also cutting its corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 25 percent.
Read more: Dutch government under fire over tax cut favoured by big business
11/18/16
Special Interests do not like electric cars - VW, Shell accused of trying to block push for electric cars
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| Special Interests ho;ding back affordable Electric Cars |
The EU is planning two new fuel efficiency targets for 2025 and 2030 to help meet promises made at the Paris climate summit last December.
But executives from the two industrial giants launched a study on Wednesday night proposing greater use of biofuels, CO2 car labelling, and the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) instead.
In reality, such a package would involve the end of meaningful new regulatory action on car emissions for more than a decade, EU sources say. But Shell insisted it is not trying to block an EU push for electric cars.
Ulrich Eichhorn, VW’s new head of research and development, said that plug-in hybrids and more efficient vehicles were “building blocks” for the future, but that “higher shares” for biofuels would be needed in the meantime.
He told a meeting in Brussels: “Modern diesel and natural gas engines will absolutely be required to deliver CO2 targets until 2020 and they will also contribute to further reductions going on from there.”
In meeting the Paris goals, “societal costs need to be minimised to keep our industrial strength and competitiveness,” he said.
The Auto Fuels Coalition study, written by Roland Berger, makes a series of highly pessimistic assumptions about the costs of fuel efficiency improvements, and equally optimistic ones about greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels. A recent EU study found the dirtiest biofuels three times more polluting than diesel.
An EU source said: “these two industries have realised they have a shared interest. When you saw who was paying for the study, you knew what the answer would be.”
Dr Christoph Wolff, the managing director of the European Climate Foundation said:“Electrification is taking off rapidly in markets such as China, Norway and the Netherlands. EU policymakers need to agree stringent measures, which will push the auto sector towards developing products that are fit to compete in this fast-evolving marketplace.”
Note EU-Digest: what would popularize the electric car even more would be the availability of a family electric car within a price range of €15,000.00 - €20,000.00
EU-Digest
4/20/16
The Netherlands: Shell to slash 2,000 Netherlands jobs - by Janene Pieters
Shell is cutting some 2 thousand jobs in the Netherlands. The oil
company aims to get rid of 15 to 20 percent of the abut 10 thousand
employees working in Amsterdam and Rijswijk as part of a cost cutting
plan to cope with the low oil prices, AD reports.The company launched a voluntary departure scheme. Office staff with a salary of 75 thousand euros per year or higher can resign voluntarily for compensation. Employees can register for voluntary departure until July 1st.
According to union FNV, Shell is hoping to avoid an official reorganization with the voluntary departure scheme. “Shell first wants to see whether enough employees volunteer”, director Egbert Schellenberg said to the newspaper.
Employees working at the Pernis refinery and the petrochemical complex in Moerdijk do not qualify for the voluntary departure scheme as those two branches already face staff shortages.
Read more: Shell to slash 2,000 Netherlands jobs - NL Times
8/7/15
Oil Giant Shell Dumps ALEC Over Climate-Change Position - by Ben Geman
Royal Dutch Shell said Friday that it's severing ties with the
American Legislative Exchange Council, a coalition of companies and
conservative state lawmakers, over differences on climate change.
"ALEC advocates for specific economic growth initiatives, but its stance on climate change is clearly inconsistent with our own.
We have long recognized both the importance of the climate challenge and the critical role energy has in determining quality of life for people across the world," Shell said in a statement.
Shell, which has faced pressure to dump ALEC from groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists and Common Cause, said it would let its association with ALEC lapse when "the current contracted term ends early next year."
It's the latest major corporation to bolt ALEC, which is under pressure from liberal activists over its stance on global warming and attacks on state green-energy standards, among other issues. Over the last year, a number of major corporations including Google, Facebook, BP, and Occidental Petroleum have abandoned the group.
Read more: Oil Giant Shell Dumps ALEC Over Climate-Change Position - NationalJournal.com
"ALEC advocates for specific economic growth initiatives, but its stance on climate change is clearly inconsistent with our own.
We have long recognized both the importance of the climate challenge and the critical role energy has in determining quality of life for people across the world," Shell said in a statement.
Shell, which has faced pressure to dump ALEC from groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists and Common Cause, said it would let its association with ALEC lapse when "the current contracted term ends early next year."
It's the latest major corporation to bolt ALEC, which is under pressure from liberal activists over its stance on global warming and attacks on state green-energy standards, among other issues. Over the last year, a number of major corporations including Google, Facebook, BP, and Occidental Petroleum have abandoned the group.
Read more: Oil Giant Shell Dumps ALEC Over Climate-Change Position - NationalJournal.com
5/9/15
Oil Production: North Sea production plunges at oil and gas giant BG
Group has reported a near 40 per cent fall North Sea production amid disruptions caused by repairs and maintenance work.
Read more: North Sea production plunges at oil and gas giant BG | Herald Scotland
The oil and gas firm, which has recommended a £47bn bid from Shell,
produced 77,000 barrels oil equivalent per day in the UK in the first
quarter. This was down 38 per cent on the 125,000 boed produced in the
same period last year.
The big fall in output came after four fields were shut down temporarily to allow work to be done on the CATS gas pipeline and the Lomond production platform.
The fall shows how infrastructure issues can have a big impact on production in areas such as the North Sea, with implications for revenues and costs.
It compounded the effect of the sharp drop in the price of crude between June and the first quarter.
Reading-based BG's profits fell by 40 per cent in the three months to March, to $1.6bn (£1bn) from $2.7bn
The price of Brent crude has increased by around 20 per cent since Shell made a cash and shares bid for BG on 8 April, which has been recommended by the BG board.
The big fall in output came after four fields were shut down temporarily to allow work to be done on the CATS gas pipeline and the Lomond production platform.
The fall shows how infrastructure issues can have a big impact on production in areas such as the North Sea, with implications for revenues and costs.
It compounded the effect of the sharp drop in the price of crude between June and the first quarter.
Reading-based BG's profits fell by 40 per cent in the three months to March, to $1.6bn (£1bn) from $2.7bn
The price of Brent crude has increased by around 20 per cent since Shell made a cash and shares bid for BG on 8 April, which has been recommended by the BG board.
Read more: North Sea production plunges at oil and gas giant BG | Herald Scotland
4/4/07
Times Online: European Shell and Choren Industries turns to wood chips and straw in search for the road fuel of the future
For the complete report from the TimesOnline click on this link
European Shell and Choren Industries turns to wood chips and straw in search for the road fuel of the future - by Carl Mortished
A new road fuel made from wood chips and straw will be launched in Europe later this year from a pilot plant developed by Shell and Choren Industries, the German biofuel company. The synthetic diesel, made using a novel biomass-to-liquids (BTL) process, will shift the biodiesel industry into a higher gear by using waste plant material instead of valuable food crops.
The pilot plant, near Freiberg, will produce 15,000 tonnes per year of synthetic diesel, which Choren has dubbed Sunfuel. Construction of a much bigger plant in Schleswig-Holstein, costing €500 million and capable of producing 200,000 tonnes of BTL, will begin next year in an effort to quickly bring the product up to commercial scale. Massive political and regulatory pressure is building on energy companies to find low-carbon alternatives to conventional road fuels.
All the technologies are based on the Fischer-Tropsch process, invented in Germany in the 1930s to synthesise liquid fuels from coal. Shell is already the biggest biofuel distributor in the world.
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