Shell's new venture raises eyebrows with its climate tech façade
Shell has unveiled Onward, a startup it claims will propel the energy sector toward a greener future. However, critics argue it's a clever disguise for continuing oil and gas operations.
Molly Taft reports for The Guardian in partnership with Drilled.
In short:
- Onward, backed by Shell, promises to connect innovators for tackling energy and climate challenges, yet focuses significantly on oil and gas projects.
- Despite Shell's investment in low-carbon solutions, Onward's job board predominantly lists roles enhancing fossil fuel production.
- Experts criticize these efforts as greenwashing, highlighting the contradiction between Shell's public climate commitments and its business practices.
Key quote:
"It’s a Trojan horse of legitimacy. You’re under cover of the idea that the climate movement is an all-hands-on-deck situation, but what you’re really doing is bringing in players who have very different ideas of what it means to ‘solve’ the climate crisis."
— Melissa Aronczyk, professor of journalism and media at Rutgers University.
Why this matters:
While Shell's Onward initiative presents a forward-thinking image, the focus on oil and gas raises concerns about the sincerity of such climate tech ventures, especially when global climate authorities call for a halt in fossil fuel exploration to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
