Shell defeats Pirc's call for openness
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Pressure groups battling Shell over its human rights and environmental record yesterday claimed partial victory despite being massively defeated in an attempt to open up the multinational group's practices to outside review.
A shareholders' resolution backed by Pirc, the corporate governance consultancy, and Friends of the Earth to force Shell to establish an independent audit of its environmental and human rights policies was defeated by a margin of about eight to one following the annual general meeting in London.
Even before a poll of votes was taken at the meeting, the company had managed to defeat the motion, with more than 316 million out of 357 million proxy votes cast in its favour.
But the protesters, who claim Shell is implicated in the deaths of 2,000 people in the Ogoniland region of Nigeria and widespread pollution there, hailed a concession by the group's outgoing chairman, John Jennings, that he accepted the principle of independent verification.
Calling for shareholders' trust, Mr Jennings said Shell had for 20 years operated under a set of "clear, open and published principles and procedures in these matters" drawn up by Sir Geoffrey Chandler, a former Shell executive now supporting the protest movement.
Mr Jennings, who is due to retire next month, said the directors shared the concerns of the resolution and admitted there was great value in the principle of having the reporting process externally verified. They had a problem in auditing policies as opposed to actions, he said. "We are searching for that process. Some [group] companies are more advanced than others. The process is in its infancy."
Shell UK is today due to publish its first health, safety and environment report following on the heels of a recent group-wide HSE report. Over the next two years every group company would implement internationally recognised standards in these areas, Mr Jennings said.
He was speaking after a hotly contested but gentlemanly debate initiated by Canon Christopher Hall, of the Oxford Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility.
In a passionate plea to shareholders who packed the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, Mr Hall said they were not attacking the company but supporting the rights of human beings the world over.
Comment, page 23
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments