Shell’s Greenwashing Gala: When Oil Giants Pretend to Hug Trees

Posted by John Donovan: 29 Nov 2024

Oh, look, Shell is back with its latest masterpiece: a shiny new ad that tries to convince us it’s saving the planet while still making most of its money destroying it. Spoiler alert: nobody’s buying it—except maybe Shell’s biggest investors, like BlackRock and Vanguard, who are probably chuckling from their ivory towers.

In the UK, over 70 complaints have been filed with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), calling out Shell’s brazen attempt at greenwashing. The ad, created by VML and promoted by Havas, paints Shell as a corporate Mother Teresa. It gushes about their investments in electric vehicle chargers and natural gas (because that’s so green, right?) while quietly glossing over the fact that Shell’s primary business is—you guessed it—oil and gas.

The pièce de résistance? A tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it disclaimer revealing that a whopping 68% of Shell’s 2023 investments went to the dirtiest energy sources, while only a measly 23% trickled into so-called “low-carbon energy solutions.” But hey, why let facts ruin a good ad campaign?

A Slight Problem with “Progress”

Let’s not forget, Shell has actually been ramping up spending on oil and gas while quietly scaling back its “green” promises. Remember that bold pledge to cut carbon emissions by 2030? Yeah, they’ve downgraded it from 20% to a wishy-washy 15-20%. That’s right: their climate strategy is now as reliable as a weather app on a rainy day.

Meanwhile, Shell’s U.S. philanthropic arm is busy donating to the masterminds behind Project 2025, a conservative initiative with an environmental policy that basically screams, “Drill, baby, drill!” It’s a match made in carbon heaven.

“Embarrassing” Even for Their Own People

Even inside the belly of the beast, not everyone is thrilled. One Havas employee reportedly called the ad campaign “embarrassing” and criticized their own agency for being complicit. To be fair, the bar for shame at an oil giant is lower than their sea-level drilling rigs.

Shell’s Corporate Gaslighting

Predictably, Shell denies any wrongdoing, insisting their ad “shows the various ways Shell UK is powering progress.” Sure, if by “progress” you mean doubling down on fossil fuels while dangling a few EV chargers in front of regulators like a cheap carrot.

A spokesperson for Shell proudly claimed they’d worked closely with the ASA before launching the campaign. Translation: they made sure the greenwashing was just subtle enough to slip under the radar. But if the complaints hold up, the ad could be pulled—though Shell’s PR machine will surely spin that into yet another tale of corporate victimhood.

The Real Takeaway

Shell’s ad isn’t just misleading; it’s a slap in the face to anyone who cares about the environment. It’s a cynical attempt to paint the ultimate sin stock as some kind of eco-hero, all while they pump billions into the fossil fuels driving the climate crisis. So, next time you see Shell patting itself on the back for “powering progress,” remember: the only thing they’re progressing toward is a hotter, more polluted planet—and their bottom line.

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