Shell Sustainable Development Goals

Select a Goal to find examples of how we contribute.

Goal 1. No Poverty

Providing access to energy, creating decent jobs, purchasing goods and services and paying taxes and royalties that help enable economic and social development: Generating prosperity for countries and communities
Working with social partners and investing in community programmes to help improve livelihoods: Environmental and social partners
Assessing and managing potential social impacts on communities where we operate: Working with communities

Goal 2. Zero Hunger

Assessing and managing potential impacts to land use and livelihoods when planning new projects: Working with communities
Developing innovative fertilisers to help increase crop yields: Shell Thiogro

Goal 3. Good Health and Well-Being

Having a focus on safety as part of our core values with a Goal Zero ambition of no harm to people: Safety, Our approach
Having a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance, designed to help protect people and the environment: Our Commitments, Policies and Standards
Applying our 9 Life-Saving Rules which cover the most critical safety hazards: LIFE-SAVING Rules
Assessing and managing potential health impacts and supporting community health projects: Community health
Partnering with the Clean Cooking Alliance to increase access to cleaner methods of cooking: Cleaner cooking solutions
Applying road safety standards, running programmes to keep our drivers safe and supporting programmes to improve community road safety: Transport safety

Goal 4. Quality Education

Investing in employee learning and training to develop skills and talents: Human Rights - Learning and development
Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education including through our flagship NXplorers programme: Education
Supporting community skills and enterprise development: Building local skills and expertise
Partnering with Earthwatch to give employees opportunity to participate in environmental research and conservation project: Environmental and social partners

Goal 5. Gender Equality

Setting commitments for diversity and inclusion: Contributing to a diverse and inclusive world
Actively monitoring diversity and working to develop women's careers and improve our gender balance: Closing the gender gap in engineering & technology
Offering a global minimum standard for maternity leave and flexible working arrangements: Closing the gender gap in engineering & technology
Endorsing external diversity and inclusion initiatives: Our people

Goal 6. Clean Water and Sanitation

Setting an ambition and commitments for water: Water
Having a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance, designed to help protect people and the environment: Our Commitments, Policies and Standards
Conducting impact assessments to understand water risks for our projects and broader watershed impacts: Water
Developing water management plans for our facilities in water scare areas: Water
Developing technologies to treat, reuse and recycle water from our operations: Water
Supporting open innovation and collaborating to improve water management and prepare for the future: Water

Goal 7. Affordable and Clean Energy

Having an ambition to provide a reliable electricity supply to 100 million people, primarily in Africa and Asia, by 2030 and investing in commercial businesses to progress this: Energy access
Collaborating with partners to implement self-sustaining access to energy projects that help unlock local markets for energy products and services: Access to energy
Setting a target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner, in step with society - See also SDG13: Our climate target
Growing our New Energies business with investments in lower-carbon technologies, including hydrogen, electric vehicle charging, solar and wind power: New Energies
Working to improve the energy efficiency of our facilities and offering customers products that can help boost their efficiency: Energy efficiency

Goal 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Setting commitments for diversity and inclusion: Contributing to a diverse and inclusive world
Respecting human rights in all aspects of doing business: Human rights
Creating jobs and providing equal opportunity in recruitment, career development, promotion, training and rewards: Human Rights - Equal opportunity
Respecting and promoting the rights and welfare of our employees and contractors: Human rights
Paying taxes and royalties and publishing the corporate income tax paid in countries and locations around the world: Tax Contribution Report
Providing commercial and employment opportunities through our supply chains and supporting programmes to build local skills and expertise: Local employment and enterprise
Supporting enterprise and entrepreneurs through programmes including Shell LiveWIRE: Supporting enterprise development and entrepreneurs
Providing good and safe working conditions with an aim to do no harm to people, our goal zero ambition: Safety
Aiming to work with contractors and suppliers that behave in an economically, environmentally and socially-responsible manner: Supplier Principles
Supporting small and medium sized enterprises: Buying locally and encouraging local suppliers

Goal 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Setting a target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner, in step with society - See also SDG13: Our climate target
Supporting off-grid energy projects in rural areas with little or no energy infrastructure: Energy access
Upgrading or building infrastructure required for our projects such as roads and ports: Our major projects
Investing in research and development and supporting open innovation: Innovation through R&D
Supporting small and medium sized enterprises: Buying locally and encouraging local suppliers

Goal 10. Reduced Inequality

Setting commitments for diversity and inclusion: Contributing to a diverse and inclusive world
Paying taxes and royalties and committing to tax compliance, being transparent about our approach and being open to external dialogue: Shell's approach to tax
Providing equal opportunities in recruitment, career development, promotion, training and rewards: Human Rights - Equal opportunity
Endorsing external diversity and inclusion initiatives: Our people
Assessing and managing potential social impacts on communities where we operate: Working with communities

Goal 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

Having requirements to avoid, minimise or mitigate potential impacts on cultural heritage: Working with communities
Committing to not explore for, or develop, oil and gas resources in natural World Heritage Sites: Environmentally sensitive areas
Conducting impact assessments when we plan new projects: Impact assessment

Goal 12. Responsible Consumption and Production

Setting an ambition and commitments for circular economy and waste: Circular Economy and Waste
Having a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance, designed to help protect people and the environment: Our Commitments, Policies and Standards
Having a goal zero ambition of no operational spills: Respecting nature
Publicly reporting our safety, social and environmental performance: Sustainability reporting and performance data
Working to ensure our products are safe throughout their life cycle: Product stewardship

Goal 13. Climate Action

Supporting the goal of the Paris agreement: Public advocacy and political activity
Setting a target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner, in step with society: Our climate target
Setting an absolute emissions reduction target of 50% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels on a net basis, covering all scope 1 and 2 emissions under Shell’s operational control: Our climate target
Setting a target to maintain methane emissions intensity below 0.2% by 2025 - we met this target in 2022: Methane emissions
Committing to bringing forward the target to eliminate routine gas flaring from Upstream operated assets from 2030 to 2025: Flaring
Publishing Shell's climate-related policy positions: Public advocacy and political activity
Publishing our Industry Associations Climate Review assessing alignment with industry associations on climate-related policy: Advocacy and political activity
Supporting the work and objectives of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): Greenhouse gas emissions: TCFD

Goal 14. Life Below Water

Setting an ambition and commitments for biodiversity: Biodiversity
Having a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance, designed to help protect people and the environment: Our Commitments, Policies and Standards
Conducting impact assessments including biodiversity considerations when we plan new projects: Impact assessment
Working with environmental organisations and others to protect marine biodiversity: Life below water
Having plans in place to respond to spills and conducting regular exercises: Environmental management
Support community projects for marine biodiversity and conservation: Life below water
Playing an active role in finding lasting solutions to the challenge of plastic waste: Plastic waste

Goal 15. Life on Land

Setting an ambition and commitments for biodiversity: Biodiversity
Having a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance, designed to help protect people and the environment: Our Commitments, Policies and Standards
Conducting impact assessments including biodiversity considerations when we plan new projects: Impact assessment
Committing to not explore for, or develop, oil and gas resources in natural World Heritage Sites: Environmentally sensitive areas
Developing biodiversity action plans for projects in sensitive environments: Our approach to biodiversity
Working with environmental organisations to protect and enhance biodiversity: Life on land
Applying rigorous sustainability standards for biofuels sourcing: Low carbon fuels
Investing in nature-based solutions to protect or develop natural ecosystems: Nature-based solutions

Goal 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Ensuring our Shell General Business Principles, Code of Conduct and Ethics and Compliance Manual, which describe how we live up to our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people, are understood and applied: Our values
Setting clear rules on anti-bribery and corruption including zero tolerance of bribes in any form: Business integrity
Doing business in a clear, open way and promoting transparency where possible throughout our industry: Transparency
Having a commitment to not interfere with or inhibit the peaceful, lawful and safe activities of human rights defenders: Human rights
Engaging with stakeholders and having feedback mechanisms in place to respond to questions or concerns: Working with communities
Recognising the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) as a safeguard for indigenous peoples' rights: Working with communities

Goal 17. Partnerships for the Goals

Contributing to debates on policy issues that affect our business, our employees or the local communities where we operate and being transparent about our approach and performance: Annual Reports and publications
Working with others in sustainability partnerships and collaborations: Working with others
Publicly supporting external voluntary codes that promote responsible business practices: External voluntary codes