The Energy Future
We are using our know-how, technology and innovation to deliver more and cleaner energy for the world's growing population.
Moving into a cleaner energy future
Environment
Shell provides energy responsibly, helping the world move towards a future in which the energy we use causes minimal impact on our planet.We recognize the importance of climate change, along with our role in helping people to achieve and maintain a good quality of life.
Our world needs energy to support and improve life for a growing population. Shell provides energy in a responsible way: we aim to minimize impacts on the environment and support the transition towards a lower-carbon future.
Towards a lower-carbon world
Shell recognizes the climate challenge and the role of energy in enabling a decent quality of life. We believe that while technological developments will emerge, effective policy and cultural change is essential to drive low-carbon business and consumer choices and opportunities.
Shell supports the establishment of government-led carbon “pricing” mechanisms that deliver a meaningful cost on CO2 emissions, necessary to create transitions to lower-carbon power and fuel options.
Learn more about climate change and the energy transition
Discover what we are doing to achieve a cleaner energy future
Preventing spills
Oil or other product spills damage the environment and endanger our employees and neighbouring communities. To avoid spills and leaks of hazardous substances, we work hard to make sure our facilities are well designed, safely operated, and appropriately inspected and maintained. We invest in the equipment and human expertise we need to deal with any spills, accidents or malfunctions that happen.
Air quality
Producing and using fossil fuels can affect air quality. We have developed more efficient transport fuels for customers and focused on improving motorists’ fuel efficiency. We also work to reduce air pollution from our operations, including limiting emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds.
Find out more about Shell and cleaner fuels
Learn more about how we help customers reduce their emissions
Fresh water
We take steps to manage our use of water and apply new approaches and technologies to reduce our use of fresh water. We comply with water regulations wherever we operate and also set our own mandatory water standards, which match best practice for our industry.
We tailor our use of fresh water to local conditions, as water constraints tend to affect people at the local or regional level. In some cases, we use alternatives to fresh water in our operations; these include recycled water, processed sewage water and desalinated water.
Biodiversity
Our projects can affect local biodiversity and dependent communities. We apply stringent standards to help reduce any impacts our operations may have, particularly in critical habitats, which are areas that are rich in biodiversity or under protection.
We work with several conservation organizations, including Earthwatch, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Our projects with biodiversity partners include working to restore natural habitats and ecosystems close to our operations.
Discover more about our work in biodiversity and our projects to protect the land and sea
Learn more about our work with environmental and developmental organizations globally
Land and marine conservation
Canada has both a national and global responsibility to preserve the best of its natural heritage. Conservation land provides a direct benefit to Canadians by supplying natural habitat for plants and animals, maintaining biodiversity and filtering our water and air.
Shell has helped conserve over 45,000 acres of land in Canada and we continue to support initiatives that will preserve our natural heritage for future generations. Our leadership in land conservation began in 1992 with establishment of the 22,000 acre Mount Broadwood Heritage Conservation Area near Fernie, British Columbia.
On June 8, 2016 Shell announced the contribution of over 860,000 hectares of offshore exploratory permits in the waters of Baffin Bay, near Lancaster Sound to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. This represents an area larger than Banff National Park.
In 2018, Shell announced its intent to voluntarily release about 50,000 km2 of exploratory permits off coastal British Columbia to support marine conservation. More than one and a half times the size of Vancouver Island, the acreage is located in the Queen Charlotte and Tofino basins covering vast and environmentally rich areas.
Partnerships
We work alongside non-government organizations (NGOs) to gain access to independent, science-based expertise to help reduce the environmental impact of our operations and projects. Partner NGOs benefit from being able to inform Shell's approach to the environment and conservation, and by gaining business and technical knowledge. Collaborative partnerships are based on trust, respect and mutual understanding. We don't always agree, but we do strive to work together on initiatives to enhance environmental performance.