Shell’s ‘Green’ Ads Exposed as Shameless Attempt to Mislead Public

Posted by John Donovan: 7 June 2023

But wait, Shell conveniently forgets to mention their dirty little secret—most of their profits come from selling petrol and other high-carbon products.

In a shocking revelation, Shell’s deceptive ad campaign promoting its supposed green initiatives has been rightfully banned in the UK for its blatant attempt to mislead consumers. The oil giant conveniently failed to mention that the majority of its business relies on environmentally destructive fossil fuels, such as petrol.

Shell claims it will become a net-zero carbon energy company by 2050 while expanding its gas business, shamelessly ran TV, poster, and YouTube ads pushing renewable electricity, wind power, and car charging point initiatives.

One of their misleading ads states, “From electric vehicle charging to renewable electricity for your home, Shell is giving customers more low-carbon choices and helping drive the UK’s energy transition.” How noble of them, right? But wait, Shell conveniently forgets to mention their dirty little secret—most of their profits come from selling petrol and other high-carbon products.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rightfully investigated the complaint filed by Adfree Cities, a campaigning group that saw through Shell’s deceit.

In defence of their deceptive campaign, Shell had the audacity to argue that mentioning their high-carbon products would be “counterproductive” and would “dilute the impact of the ads’ positive environmental message.” Oh, how considerate of Shell to spare us the inconvenience of knowing the truth about their destructive practices.

Shell’s spokesperson even had the nerve to criticize the ASA’s decision as “shortsighted,” claiming it could slow down the UK’s transition to renewable energy. Well, it seems they’re more concerned about their profits than the environment, as always.

The ASA rightly pointed out that while consumers may associate Shell with environmentally damaging fossil fuels, they may not be fully aware of the company’s actual efforts to reduce emissions.

Shell’s ads falsely created the impression that low-carbon energy products make up a significant portion of their business, conveniently omitting the fact that their operations still heavily rely on oil and gas extraction.

But the truth can’t be hidden forever. Shell’s own 2021 Sustainability Report reveals that their operations produced a staggering 1,375 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. Yet they had the audacity to tout their “green” initiatives and pretend to be champions of the environment.

Shell’s greed knows no bounds. Just last month, they reported record profits of over $9.6 billion, following a whopping $40 billion in profits in 2022—the largest in the company’s 115-year history. It’s clear that their primary concern is profiteering, even at the expense of our planet’s well-being.

Caroline Lucas, an MP for the Green Party, rightly stated, “Fossil fuel giants like Shell can’t greenwash their way out of the climate emergency.” Their glitzy advertisements are nothing but a smokescreen to conceal their climate criminal behavior—polluting the planet, raking in record profits, and sanitizing their own image to perpetuate the climate-wrecking cycle.

It’s about time we see through Shell’s deceitful tactics. Let’s hold them accountable for their destructive actions rather than falling for their hollow promises of a greener future.

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