Shell plc — Ethics Grade F

Shell plc receives an overall ethics grade of F (18/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Energy. Market cap: Mega Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 45
• privacy: 65
• consumer: 35
• environment: 8
• humanRights: 10

Documented incidents (4)

• Landmark Dutch climate ruling (high, 2021) — Dutch court ordered Shell to cut CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. Found the company was knowingly contributing to climate change.
• Niger Delta oil pollution (high, 2011) — Decades of oil spills devastated the Niger Delta, contaminating water and farmland for 69,000+ Ogoni people. Shell settled for £55M in 2015.
• Greenwashing accusations (medium, 2023) — Advertising Standards Authority banned Shell ads for being misleading about its green energy investments while 75% of spending was on fossil fuels.
• Complicity in Ken Saro-Wiwa execution (high, 1995) — Accused of complicity in the execution of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa who protested Shell's environmental destruction. Settled lawsuit in 2009.

Documented good deeds

• Renewable energy investments — Invested $3.5B in renewable and energy solutions including wind, solar, and EV charging.

Ethical alternatives

• Ørsted — Transformed from fossil fuels to 90% renewable energy. World leader in offshore wind.