Climate activists disrupt Shell shareholder meeting
STORY: Dozens of climate protesters disrupted Shell’s annual shareholder meeting in London on Tuesday (May 24).
Activists chanted and held banners, forcing company chair Andrew Mackenzie to temporarily halt proceedings.
Police allowed the protesters to continue their disruption for over an hour after the meeting was due to start.
Nine de Pater is lead campaigner with Friends of the Earth in the Netherlands:
"A year ago we won the court case against Shell, the court ruling said that Shell must reduce CO2 emissions with 45% in 2030, that Shell should no longer cause dangerous climate change, no longer put people's lives in danger. And I am here also to remind the board of directors of Shell to do what they have to do, and to comply to the verdict.“
Shell plans to ask shareholders to vote on a resolution supporting its climate strategy.
It wants to rebuff an environmental motion submitted by campaigners.
But activist investor Mark Van Baal says the oil giant needs to go further in changing strategy:
"Oil prices are high again so there are windfall profits, and you can draw two conclusions from that: you can draw the conclusion that you have to continue with oil and gas, or you have to draw the conclusion that you have to invest this windfall profit in renewable energy, and that’s what more and more investors want.”
Shell condemned the protests, saying they were the opposite of constructive engagement.
The firm said the meeting would continue in another room after a break.
