Arial of a river and a white truck on a road in a pine forest with an outline of the Respecting nature graph

Respecting nature

Protecting the environment, reducing waste and making a positive contribution to biodiversity

Shell employee gathering river water

For many years we have had guiding principles and standards that seek to protect the environment. Now we are stepping up our environmental ambitions and shaping them to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our environmental ambitions include protecting and enhancing biodiversity – the plant and animal life that is vital for the planet. We are also focusing on using water and other resources more efficiently across all our activities, reusing as much of them as we can.

A man and a woman walking along rapids in a forest

We are reducing waste from our operations and increasing recycling of plastics. We are helping to improve air quality by reducing emissions from our operations and providing cleaner ways to power transport and industry.

Working with our partners and suppliers and developing new collaborations is key. We will join with others across industry, governments, our customers and supply chains to protect nature.

Stacks of plastic bags in a waste facility

We have set environmental ambitions for 2030 and later, as well as shorter-term goals. We will continue to look for opportunities to go further and will report our progress in a transparent way.

How Shell is respecting nature

  • By 2030, we will increase the amount of recycled plastic in our packaging to 30% and ensure that the packaging we use for our products is reusable or recyclable.

  • We will reduce the amount of fresh water consumed in our facilities, starting by reducing fresh-water consumption by 15% by 2025 compared with 2018 levels in areas where there is high pressure on fresh-water resources.

  • We are aiming for zero waste by increasing reuse and recycling in our business and supply chains.

  • We will demonstrate an overall positive impact on biodiversity from our new projects in areas rich in biodiversity, called critical habitats. This will include investing in conservation and taking steps to safeguard and, where possible, enhance local environments.

Learn how Shell is Powering Progress