Shell sets bolder emissions goal even as virus hits

“Society’s expectations have shifted quickly in the debate around climate change. Shell now needs to go further with our own ambitions, ” chief executive officer Ben van Beurden said in a statement yesterday.

LONDON: Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to eliminate all net emissions from its own operations and the bulk of greenhouse gases from fuel it sells to customers by 2050.

The energy giant is following in the footsteps of its peers BP Plc and Repsol SA, which have already set similar targets. Shell’s move indicates that, despite the turmoil caused in the industry by the coronavirus, major oil and gas companies aren’t abandoning the transition to cleaner energy.