CALGARY, AB, Nov. 12, 2020 /CNW/ - Shell will become the first retailer in Canada to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from customers' fuel purchases at Shell service stations across the country. The offsets cover all emissions from the production through to the use of the fuel.
"Our customers have told us they want more ways to reduce their CO2 emissions and make a difference, but they don't always know what actions to take," said Andrea Brecka, General Manager Retail, Shell Canada. "Our Drive Carbon Neutral program is designed to help make it simpler for Shell customers to address their carbon footprint today, by offsetting their fuel purchases."
Starting November 12, Shell customers can opt into the program at no extra cost when they pay for fuel purchases through Shell EasyPay™ in the Shell app during the promotional period.* Shell will then offset customers' emissions by purchasing independently-verified carbon credits generated from Canadian and international projects that protect or restore natural landscapes.**
In Canada, Shell has sourced carbon credits from the Darkwoods Forest Carbon Project, an initiative of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. It markets carbon credits generated from the Darkwoods Conservation Area in Southeast British Columbia (B.C.). The conservation area protects 630km2 of rare inland temperate rainforest, sub-alpine meadows and freshwater systems, and protects mature and old-growth forests from being intensively harvested for timber.
"Our customers expect us to do more to help with the transition to a low-carbon world," added Brecka. "Diversifying into lower-carbon energy and fuel options, and investing in nature-based credits to help offset emissions that are unavoidable, are ways we can better serve our customers' needs."
Shell is investing in nature as just one of the ways it is working to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner, in step with society.*** Nature-based solutions are projects that protect, transform or restore the land, such as forests, grasslands and wetlands.
On the road, Shell is making a wider range of lower-carbon transport solutions available to customers, including biofuels and hydrogen, and growing the number of charge points for battery electric cars.**** Where emissions cannot be avoided, however, offsetting is an option that can be used to compensate for them, such as through Shell's new Drive Carbon Neutral program.
Shell also announced today, with Indigenous communities in B.C., it is investing in a reforestation project that has the potential to generate carbon credits in the future. Shell and the Tŝilhqot'in National Government are jointly undertaking a tree-planting project in Tŝilhqot'in territory, in the B.C. Interior, where recent wildfires have significantly impacted the region and Tŝilhqot'in communities located there. Working with Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation, a Tŝilhqot'in forestry company, an estimated 840,000 native tree species including Lodgepole Pine, White Spruce, Douglas Fir and Aspen will be planted on approximately 700 hectares of fire-impacted areas that have not regenerated on their own, or have been slow to regenerate.
The launch of the Drive Carbon Neutral program in Canada follows similar programs Shell offers drivers around the world, including in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and The Netherlands. For more information on the Drive Carbon Neutral program, visit www.shell.ca/CO2Neutral
Notes to Editors
*This introductory offer will be available every time a customer uses Shell EasyPayTM with their fuel transaction from November 12, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Beyond December 31, 2020, Shell will continue to offer customers the ability to opt into the Drive Carbon Neutral program by contributing two cents per litre.
CO2 emissions generated by the fuel purchased by participating drivers – as well as from the extraction, refining and distribution of the fuel – will be offset by carbon credits.
The terms "carbon neutral" and "carbon offset" indicate that Shell has engaged in a transaction to ensure that an amount of CO2 equivalent to that associated with the production, delivery and usage of the fuel has been removed from the atmosphere through a nature-based process, or emissions saved through avoided deforestation.
One carbon credit represents the avoidance or removal of one tonne of CO2.
**In addition to the carbon credits sourced from within Canada from the Darkwoods Forest Carbon Project, Shell will also purchase carbon credits from nature-based projects globally, such as the Cordillera Azul National Park Project in Peru and Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project in Indonesia. Shell sources carbon credits from projects that are certified under credible, high-quality and independent carbon credit standards.
***More information on Shell's climate ambition and how we're working on many fronts to avoid, reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions from our operations and products.
****In Canada, Shell is actively seeking out and investing in lower-carbon opportunities where it makes business sense, including:
In Vancouver, Shell and Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC) have built two hydrogen refuelling stations in the greater Vancouver area.
Shell Ventures has provided an equity investment to FORGE Hydrocarbons Corporation that will help build a first-of-its-kind CAD$30 million commercial-scale, biofuel production plant in Sombra, Ontario.
Shell acquired US-based Greenlots in 2019, whose industry-leading software and services equip drivers, site hosts and network operators with electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Greenlots has a growing presence in Canada.
The Shell-operated Quest carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility near Edmonton, Alberta, has captured and safely stored more than 5 million tonnes of CO2 since its start up in 2015.
Cautionary Note
The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release "Shell", "Shell Group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this release refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations", respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
This release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition", ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this releaseand should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this release, November 12, 2020. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this release.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.
Share this article