Our climate target
Shell's target is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
Tackling climate change
With this target, we will contribute to a net-zero world, where society stops adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.
Shell supports the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement, which is to limit the rise in global average temperature this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In order to become a net-zero emissions energy business, we are reducing emissions from our own operations, and from the fuels and other energy products we sell to our customers.
We are providing more low-carbon energy such as charging for electric vehicles, hydrogen and electricity generated by solar and wind power, as well as using technology to safely capture and store carbon emissions. For remaining emissions, we offer high-quality carbon credits including from nature-based projects.
We are also working with our customers as they make changes too, including in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise such as aviation, shipping, road freight and industry.
To help step up the pace of change, in October 2021, we set a target to reduce absolute emissions by 50% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels1. This covers all emissions in Scope 1, which come directly from our operations, and in Scope 2, from the energy we buy to run our operations.2
Find out more about Shell’s journey to net zero:
Download ‘Shell’s journey to net zero’ transcript’ (DOC 52KB)
1Calculated on a net basis, which allows for the use of carbon capture and storage as well as nature-based solutions
2Under our operational control
Our approach
We believe our emissions peaked in 2018 and we will continue working to bring them down.
We will reduce emissions from our own operations, including the production of oil and gas, for example by increasing energy efficiency, as well as capturing or offsetting any remaining emissions.
Emissions from our own operations make up less than 10% of our total emissions.
Customers' emissions from the use of the energy we sell generates most emissions, so we must also help our customers cut their emissions when they use that energy. Importantly, our target includes emissions not only from the energy we produce and process ourselves, but also from all the energy products that others produce and we sell to our customers3.
3 Sales from retail stations that use the Shell brand but are not operated or supplied by Shell are excluded from our target
We play three roles
We are an energy provider
Becoming a net-zero emissions business means offering customers more low-carbon products, from renewable electricity, to charging for electric vehicles and hydrogen. We aim to reduce the net carbon intensity of the energy products we sell by 100% by 20504.
We use net carbon intensity5 to show our progress in changing the mix of energy products we sell to customers. Net carbon intensity measures emissions associated with each unit of energy we sell. It reflects changes in sales of oil and gas products, and changes in sales of low- and zero-carbon products and services -- such as biofuels, hydrogen and renewable electricity.
4 Compared to 2016 levels.
5 Shell’s net carbon intensity is the average intensity, weighted by sales volume, of the energy products sold by Shell. It is tracked, measured and reported using our Net Carbon Footprint (NCF) methodology.
We play three roles
We are an energy user
Our target is to achieve net-zero emissions from all our operations, as well as from the energy we need to power them. That means that any greenhouse gas emissions from making our products that cannot be avoided will be captured or offset using technology and nature.
We play three roles
We are a partner for change
Working with our customers, we are helping them to address the GHG emissions they produce when they use products bought from us. We are also helping our customers to find ways to reduce their overall carbon footprints. Partnering with others includes supporting government policies to reduce carbon emissions, sector by sector. For more, visit shell.com/advocacy
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What are we already doing?
At Shell we are already changing as an energy provider, an energy user and a partner for change.