Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process

The briefing argues that Shell exerts significant influence over the Rio+20 process by occupying senior leadership roles in a 'complex and hermetic web' of interlinked business associations and UN-affiliated initiatives. It details Shell's presence in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), UN Global Compact, IPIECA, and IETA, highlighting how these entities coordinate through Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD) to shape sustainable development policy.

• Shell holds high-level leadership positions in the three primary organizations convening Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD), which serves as the official coordinator for the Business and Industry Major Group in the Rio+20 process. These include the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and the UN Global Compact.
• Shell's non-executive chairman, Jorma Ollila, maintains dual leadership roles as an ex-officio member of the ICC's executive board and a member of the WBCSD's executive committee, where he also co-chairs the work programme on Energy and Climate.
• The UN Global Compact, while viewed as an official UN organization supported by the General Assembly, is closely linked to Shell through Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, a former Shell chairman who serves as vice-chair of the Global Compact Board and a member of the BASD 2012 Steering Committee.
• Shell exerts influence over the oil and gas industry's communication with the UN through IPIECA, with Shell's Vice President Environment, Allard Castelein, representing the company on IPIECA's Executive Committee.
• Shell's Senior Climate Change Adviser, David Hone, chairs the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), an organization that has historically deployed the largest NGO delegations to UN climate conferences, including Bali (2007), Poznan (2008), Copenhagen (2009), Cancun (2010), and Durban (COP17).
• The document describes a 'hermetic web' of corporate influence where lobbying groups are deeply interlinked; for example, IETA is a member of WBCSD, which is a member of the UN Global Compact, and the ICC also sits on the Global Compact board.

APA

Slob, B. (2012). Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Shell-and-corporate-lobbying-in-the-Rio-20-process.pdf

Chicago

Slob, Bart. Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process. Friends of the Earth International, 2012. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Shell-and-corporate-lobbying-in-the-Rio-20-process.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Slob |first1=Bart |title=Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=6 June 2012 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Shell-and-corporate-lobbying-in-the-Rio-20-process.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{slob2012shell, author = {Slob, Bart}, title = {{Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Shell-and-corporate-lobbying-in-the-Rio-20-process.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }