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Shell undertakes to avoid operating in natural World Heritage Sites
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| Sir Philip Watts: "A very important step for our business." |
London, 29 August 2003 -- Royal Dutch/Shell has undertaken not to explore for or develop oil and gas resources on land designated as a World Heritage Site, saying that it is the first energy group to make this commitment publicly.
Announcing the move, the Group said: "Shell recognizes that natural World Heritage Sites are places of outstanding universal value." The move among new commitments under the Group Biodiversity Standard, first published in 2001, which covers all of Shell's businesses.
Shell Chairman Sir Philip Watts said: "Setting the Group Biodiversity Standard was a very important step for our business because it demonstrated a recognition that real change, real acceptance of a new way of doing business, only comes when it is integrated into the heart of the business and recognized as a factor in the success of
the business."
A further new Shell commitment is to implement more stringent operating practices to address biodiversity issues when it is operating in an area of high biodiversity value. The Group has begun by developing an early warning system for engaging key stakeholders and integrating biodversity into its impact assessment process.
The Shell Group was a founder supporter of ICC'S Business Charter for Sustainable Development, introduced ahead of the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 as a set of sound environmental management principles for companies.
Shell's latest initiative is in line with the Charter's invitation to companies to place environmental considerations among the highest corporate priorities.
ICC Commission on Biosociety
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