Shell and corporate lobbying in the Rio+20 process

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines the influence of Shell and other corporate entities on the UN's Rio+20 process. It details how Shell utilizes a network of interlinked business associations and lobbying groups—including the ICC, WBCSD, and the UN Global Compact—to shape global sustainability standards and policy, often operating through 'BINGOs' (business-backed NGOs) to gain privileged access to UN decision-making.

• Shell exerts influence over the Rio+20 process by holding senior leadership positions in the three organizations that convened Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD): 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, holds high-level roles in both the ICC and WBCSD, serving as an ex-officio member of the ICC's executive board and a member of the WBCSD's executive committee, while also co-chairing the WBCSD's Energy and Climate work programme.
• The UN Global Compact, while viewed as an official UN organization supported by the General Assembly, is linked to Shell through Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, a former Shell chairman and board member who serves as the vice-chair of the Global Compact Board and a member of the BASD 2012 Steering Committee.
• Shell maintains a significant presence in industry-specific associations, with its Vice President Environment representing the company on the Executive Committee of IPIECA and its Senior Climate Change Adviser, David Hone, serving as the chair of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).
• The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) operates as a 'BINGO' (business-backed NGO) and has historically deployed the largest NGO delegations to UN climate conferences, including Bali (2007), Poznan (2008), Copenhagen (2009), Cancun (2010), and Durban (COP17), often with Shell as a main sponsor.
• The document describes a 'hermetic web' of corporate lobbying where different associations are deeply interlinked; for example, IETA is a member of the WBCSD, which is a member of the UN Global Compact, and the ICC also serves as a convener of BASD 2012.
• The UN's relationship with corporations shifted starting with the 1992 Earth Summit, moving from recommending international regulation of businesses to adopting proposals for corporate self-regulation and granting corporations formal roles in decision-making by 1997.

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} }