Shell Directors Promise to Visit Fenceline Communities

Jun 28

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/shell_directors_promise_to_...

Shell directors, under fire for polluting communities and damaging
people's health, promised to visit some of the affected areas when
challenged by community representatives at the AGM in London today
(Monday). People from Texas, Louisiana, South Africa and Nigeria
travelled to the meeting with campaigners from Friends of the
Earth to raise their concerns, publishing an alternative version
of Shell's report for shareholders [1].

Challenged by Durban community activist Desmond D'Sa, company
chair Lord Oxburgh gave his personal assurance that he would visit
the Durban refinery and see for himself the pollution suffered by
the community. Shell stands accused of operating to lower
standards at its Durban refinery, where leaks and gas flaring are
regular occurrences.

Speaking after the meeting, Desmond D'Sa from the South Durban
Community Environmental Alliance, said:

"Lord Oxburgh told me in the meeting he would come to Durban.
These words must be turned into action and we must see him on the
fenceline. Then he can see for himself what is happening there."

Hilton Kelley, who travelled to the meeting from Port Arthur,
Texas, said:

"I think they realised that there are problems in Port Arthur and
I asked them to come there and see what is going on and meet the
real people on the ground. At the moment, I am optimistic that
this year, Shell might take our concerns seriously."

The company also faced questions from representatives from the
Niger Delta, where oil spills and gas flares dominate the
landscape.

Patrick Naagbantan from Environmental Rights Action in Nigeria
asked directors at the meeting what had happened to the $70
million reportedly spent by Shell on community development in the
Niger Delta. But he said after the meeting that he was not
satisfied by the answer he was given.

"They gave me a vague response. $70 million is a lot of money. We
want to know where it I gone and why it is not being spent on
making concrete improvements. We have seen no real benefits on
the ground."

Friends of the Earth's Head Corporate Accountability Campaigner
Craig Bennett said:

"Shell is failing these communities and failing to recognise their
concerns. We want to see concrete action on the ground to tackle
pollution and deal with the problems they face. Shell has shown
it cannot be trusted to implement the high standards it talks
about . It is time it was forced to do so.

"Shareholders are rightly concerned by the financial risks caused
by poor environmen tal and social performance . It is time
Shell and other companies were forced to clean up its act for
the benefit of shareholders, communities and the environment .
T he British Government must ensure that people have legal
rights of redress against British companies such as Shell who
profit from pollution and damaging communities."

Friends of the Earth is campaigning for new corporate
accountability legislation in the UK which would introduce
campaigning for changes to UK company law so that financial
obligations are counterbalanced by social and environmental
concerns. Specifically, the Government must introduce:

Mandatory reporting - requiring all UK companies to report
annually on the impact of their

operations, policies, products and procurement practices on people
and the environment both in

the UK and abroad

New legal duties on directors - to take reasonable steps to reduce
any significant negative social

or environmental impacts

Foreign direct liability - to enable affected communities abroad
to seek redress in the UK for

human rights and environmental abuses resulting directly from the
operations, policies, products

and procurement practices of UK companies or their overseas
subsidiaries.

See: www.corporate-responsibility.org

Notes:

[1] Behind the shine - the other Shell Report 2003 is available
online at:

www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/behind_shine.pdf[1]

More information from www.shellfacts.com[2]

Pictures from outside the AGM at:

tp://www.idspicturedesk.com/picturedesk/I?k=H231d4738k-67958u=
uqp[3]