Oil and gas
Shell has been active in Australia since 1901. Their business activities in Australia are exploring and producing oil and gas, and refining, supplying, manufacturing and marketing a range of oil products.
Company Ownership
Shell Australia Ltd
AUS
Shell plc
owns 100% of Shell Australia Ltd
NLD
Oil & gas
Formerly Royal Dutch Shell plc. World's #2 oil & gas company (after Exxon Mobil). Most of the oil giant's crude is produced in Nigeria, Oman, the UK, and the US. The company operates the world's largest retail fuel network with 44,000 petrol stations in over 90 countries.
Company Assessment
(Last updated Oct 2024)
Praise
Criticism
Information
Shell Australia Ltd
Praise
Criticism
Information
Breaching advertising codes
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2007 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about a tv ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Political donations
According to the democracyforsale.net website, this company donated $39,000 to Australia's major political parties between 2012 and 2018, as disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision (AEC).
Source: Democracy For Sale
(2018)
No tax paid in 2019-20
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Jan 2022, this company was one of many local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2019-20. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO
(2022)
Shell plc
Praise
Criticism
Information
CDP Climate Change score of B
In 2023, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change score of B.
Source: CDP
(2023)
40.0% in Human Rights Benchmark
The 2023 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 55 companies in the extractives sector on their human rights performance. This company received a score of 40%. The overall average score was 23.4% and the highest score was 65.9%.
13/20 in Social Benchmark
The 2024 Social Benchmark assesses the world's 2,000 most influential companies on their responsibility in meeting society's fundamental expectations towards three measurement areas: respecting human rights, providing decent work, and acting ethically. This company was assessed in 2023 and received a score of 13/20. The average score was an alarmingly low 4.6/20 and the highest score was 15.5/20.
31.7% in Oil and Gas Benchmark
The 2023 Oil and Gas Benchmark ranks 100 oil and gas companies on their climate strategy and performance together with social performance. This company ranked #11/100, with a total score of 31.7/100.
Pollution in the Niger Delta
Friends of the Earth Netherlands/ Milieudefensie, has created this campaign to hold Shell accountable for their reckless pollution in the Niger Delta. Over the last 50 years Shell has helped turn the Niger Delta into the world's largest oil spill. At least 400 million gallons of oil have been spilled, devastating an area half the size of Florida. And nothing has been done to stop this. There has been no serious clean up effort, no relief for the millions of people that live there, nothing. The campaign calls on Shell to take responsibility for the pollution they've caused.
Source: FOE Netherlands
(2014)
Carbon reserves
This company ranked 7th on the list of 100 oil & gas companies in the 2016 Carbon Underground 200, a ranking of fossil fuel companies being targeted for divestment. Companies are ranked by the potential carbon emissions content of their proven reserves. The reserves of these companies total almost five times more than can be burned for the world to have an 80% chance of limiting global temperature rise to 2°C.
Source: Fossil Free Indexes
(2016)
13% in Forest 500 Rankings
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 13%.
Source: Forest 500
(2023)
Fined US$5bn for oil spills in Nigeria
In 2012 Nigerian regulators fined Shell $5 billion for environmental damaged caused by an oil spill at its offshore Bonga field, one of the biggest in the history of Africa’s largest energy industry.
Source: Reuters
(2012)
Delaying action on plastic pollution
The Talking Trash 2020 report by Changing Markets investigates the corporate playbook of false solutions to the plastic crisis. It found that the industry is actively delaying and derailing ambitious action on plastic pollution in its fight to maintain business as usual for as long as possible. For example, this plastic producing company is signed up to two nice-sounding voluntary initiatives to address plastic waste, while also participating in one industry associations which lobbies against legislation that could restrict plastic, or make corporations responsible for managing the waste they create, financially or otherwise.
Source: Changing Markets
(2020)
3.3% in conflict minerals rankings
As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 3.3% (Weak).
Source: As You Sow
(2019)
"Net zero" greenwash
'The Big Con' is a 2021 report by Corporate Accountability, Friends of the Earth and others that makes clear that Big Polluters' idea of "net zero" is part of their continued plan to protect deeply unjust global systems, distract from taking the real action needed, and to evade responsibility for the climate crisis and to continue to pollute. This company was named in the report as one whose "net zero" climate commitments are anything but real action.
Source: Corporate Accountability
(2021)
Tax avoidance
Platform's 2013 report 'Making a Killing: Oil Companies, Tax Avoidance and Subsidies' accuses Shell of large scale UK tax avoidance. Shell receives major government support including direct subsidies and military and diplomatic services, but seem to pay very small amounts of UK tax in comparison to their global profits. BP and Shell are particularly committed to tax havens, with more tax-dodging subsidiaries than their competitors: 605 and 523 high-secrecy subsidiaries respectively.
Source: Platform
(2013)
Public Eye Award Winner 2013
Public Eye Awards are given to companies with the worst record in terms of environmental pollution and human rights violations. Shell received the award in 2013 for being the first major oil company to move into the fragile Arctic to drill for oil.
Source: Berne Declaration
(2013)
Public Eye Award Winner 2005
Public Eye Awards are given to companies with the worst record in terms of environmental pollution and human rights violations. Shell has been pumping oil and flaring gas in the Niger delta since 1956, irrespective of the adverse impact of its operations on local communities, their livelihoods and the environment. The company refuses to assume liability for the damage it causes. Listed under information due to age of award.
Source: Berne Declaration
(2005)
Oil spills in Nigeria
In August and December 2008, two major oil spills disrupted the lives of the 69,000 people living in Bodo, Nigeria. Both spills continued for weeks before they were stopped. Three years on, the Shell Petroleum Development Company has still not cleaned up the oil. As the evidence in this 2011 report by Amnesty International illustrates, this continues to have catastrophic consequences for tens of thousands of people in Bodo, whose lives have been directly affected by ongoing pollution.
Source: Amnesty Intl
(2011)
Single-use plastic waste producer
This company is the world's 51th largest producer of single-use plastic waste, according to Minderoo Foundation's 2021 Plastic Waste Makers Index. In 2019, just 20 polymer producers accounted for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated globally, and the top 100 accounted for 90 per cent. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest, most urgent threats facing our planet and our health.
Source: Minderoo Foundation
(2021)
Human rights in Nigeria
In June 2009, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to pay US$15.5 million to settle a case accusing it of taking part in human rights abuses in the Niger Delta in the early 1990s. The settlement came days before the start of a trial in New York that was expected to reveal extensive details of Shell's activities in the Niger Delta. This ended a long legal battle that began in 1995, shortly after Shell's most prominent critic at the time in Nigeria, activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, was hanged by that country's military regime after protesting the company's environmental practices in the oil-rich delta, especially in his native Ogoni region. Shell deny any role in the death.
Source: news article
(2009)
Most controversial companies of 2010
This company appeared eighth on RepRisk's top ten "most environmentally and socially controversial companies of 2010". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2010 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. Criticisms of Shell include bribery and tax evasion allegations, environmental concerns in Texas, Sao Paulo and Australia, and mistreating communities in countries like Brazil, Nicaragua, Nigeria and Ireland. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: RepRisk
(2010)
Corporate Criminals Alumni
This company appears on Global Exchange's list of Top Ten Corporate Criminals Alumni for contamination of the air and waterways of the Niger Delta and disenfranchising native Ogoni villagers by putting their health, safety, property, and well-being at stake. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: Global Exchange
(2018)
Tax havens
This company has been criticised by ActionAid for having subsidiaries in tax havens. One of the main reasons companies have subsidiaries in tax havens is to dodge their taxes. Developing countries lose more to tax dodging than they receive in aid each year.
Source: ActionAid
(2011)
Fines for misconduct
Royal Dutch Shell PLC is listed on the Federal Contractor Misconduct Database as having 61 instances of misconduct since 1995 amounting to US$1,628.8 million in penalties. Instances include underpayment of royalties, contamination, bribery and pollution.
Bribery in Nigeria
In Nov 2010 SNEPCO, a Nigerian subsidiary of Shell, agreed to pay a US$30m criminal penalty after Shell admitted that it approved of or condoned the payment of bribes on their behalf in Nigeria and falsely recorded them as legitimate business expenses.
Source: US Dept of Justice
(2010)
47.3% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 47.3/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek
(2017)
Arctic drilling plans abandoned
After heavy campaigning by Greenpeace Shell announced it would abandon plans to drill for oil in the Alaskan Arctic in 2013.
Source: Greenpeace
(2013)
CRSD Strategic Partner
This company is a strategic member of the Center for Responsible Shale Development (CRSD), a collaborative effort of environmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, energy companies and other stakeholders committed to safe, environmentally responsible shale resource development (ie. fracking).
Source: CRSD
(2019)
45% female board
The Female FTSE Board Report 2020 measures of the number of women executive directors on the corporate boards of the UK's top companies. This company has 5 women on its board of directors (45%), and was one of 28 in the FTSE 100 with women in executive roles.
Source: Cranfield University
(2020)
Bonsucro member
This company is a member of Bonsucro - Better Sugar Cane Initiative, a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering the sustainability of the sugarcane sector through its leading metric-based certification scheme and its support for continuous improvement for members.
Source: Bonsucro
(2019)
Alliance to End Plastic Waste member
This company is a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste which aims to eliminate plastic waste in the environment.
Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website
(2017)
BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC
(2022)
OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets
(2024)
Fracking impacts disclosure
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'Disclosing the Facts: Transparency and Risk in Hydraulic Fracturing Operations', benchmarks 28 companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') against investor needs for disclosure of operational impacts and mitigation efforts. This company disclosed information on 16 of the 43 indicators (which was actually better than half of the other companies in the report) related to management of toxic chemicals, water and waste, air emissions, methane leakage and community impacts.
Source: As You Sow
(2019)
Climate Accountability Scorecard
In 2018 the Union of Concerned Scientists published their Climate Accountability Scorecard, which measures the progress of major fossil fuel companies to stop spreading climate disinformation and to fix their business plans to achieve dramatic reductions in global warming emissions. This company rated Poor for disinformation, Fair for business planning and disclosure, and Good for policy.
43/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 43/100 in the Oil & Gas - Upstream & Integrated category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 18 Nov 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global
(2022)
Corporate Rap Sheet
The Corporate Research Project's Corporate Rap Sheets are dossiers summarising the most significant crimes, violations and other questionable activities of the world's largest and most controversial companies. Follow link to see this company's Corporate Rap Sheet. "For the past decade it has been a frequent target of criticism by human-rights campaigners because of its practices in Nigeria and by environmental campaigners because of contamination, leaks, explosions and other toxic events at many of its operations around the world."
Facing Finance profile
This company is listed on the Facing Finance website as a company that manufactures weapons or profits from violations of human rights, pollution, corruption, or international law. Follow link for further details.
Source: Facing Finance
(2014)
BankTrack profile
BankTrack is a global network of civil society organisations and individuals tracking the operations of the banking sector and the activities they finance. Banktrack aims to promote fundamental changes in the banking sector so that banks adopt just and sustainable business practices. BankTrack also has profiles on companies, such as this one, which have been the subject of civil society campaigns for damaging the environment or society. Follow the link to see this company's profile.
Source: BankTrack
(2018)
Company Details
Type:
Wholly-owned subsidiary
Revenue:
8.9 billion AUD
(2018)
Employees:
1,964
(2018)
Contact Details
Address:
PO Box 872K, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Phone:
03 8823 4444
Freecall:
13 16 18
Website: