Shell’s fast track to a green-energy future

Shell, the oil major, has had to accelerate plans to go green, and may now ditch highly profitable assets in America. Matthew Partridge reports

Shell oil worker
A Dutch court has told Shell to cut its emissions by 45% from 2019 levels
(Image credit: © Royal Dutch Shell)

After losing a “damning” court case last month, Royal Dutch Shell’s CEO Ben van Beurden promised last week that the company will “rise to the challenge” of hitting “ambitious climate targets”, says Francesca Washtell on This is Money. While the company had already vowed to cut its net carbon emission to zero by 2050, a Dutch court ruled last month that by 2030 it must also reduce them by 45% from 2019 levels. While the company will appeal, the ruling still applies immediately, so it has vowed to fast-track plans for the energy transition and cut emissions “in a way that remains purposeful and profitable”.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri