Activists Storm Shell AGM Over Climate
People protested outside before the meeting.
Protesters went to the Shell shareholders meeting in London. They disrupted it. The security people had to protect the board members.
The protests caused a delay. People shouted and ran to the front of the room where executives were seated on stage. The protesters wanted to shut down Shell.
The security had to remove some protesters from the building.
Crowds are gathering outside of Shell. Shell says that protesters are not interested in constructive engagement. The protesters are not interested in having a conversation.
The energy company declared that it aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Groups want Shell to cut absolute carbon emissions by 2030. They want more focus on renewables. This pressure is on energy companies, not only Shell. Campaigners seek to ramp it up.
The campaigners put forward some goals, but the shareholders voted against them at the meeting.
Several groups are gathered outside the investor event. These groups include Christian Climate Action, which is a branch of Extinction Rebellion. Another group is the Catholic protest group called Laudato Si' Movement. Lastly, there are Quakers for Climate Justice present as well.
Wael Sawan, CEO of Shell, defended the company. Critics said Shell wasn't moving quickly enough from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The boss of the company said they spent $4.3bn in 2022 on eco-friendly energy. This includes things like biofuels, hydrogen, electric car charging and renewable power. But they also spent $25bn on oil and gas.
The protesters got into the room by investing in the company. They're called activist shareholders. They buy shares to pressure management.
Shell made $39.9bn profit in February. It's double the profit made in the previous year. It's also the most profit Shell has ever made in 115 years.
When the war in Ukraine started, oil and gas prices went up. This made energy companies lots of money but made energy bills for homes and businesses more expensive.
The event was scheduled for 10:00 but it began at 11:00 due to activists stirring up trouble.
The meeting started. Protesters came in and Started singing a song. The song said Shell should go to hell. It was like "Hit The Road Jack". They told Shell not to come back.
Security carried out protesters while the Shell chairman said "We want to have a civilised debate."
Sir Andrew is up for reappointment as chair and activists plan to block it.
People who invest will vote on pay plans for 2022. This includes the pay of Ben van Beurden, the current chief executive who will be leaving. He got $12m (£9.7m) last year, which has a $9.3m bonus.
