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Shell Foundation

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Shell Foundation
Formation2000; 24 years ago (2000)[1]
FounderShell plc
Location
Websiteshellfoundation.org

Shell Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that is working towards alleviating poverty for millions of people in Africa and Asia. It supports clean energy solutions that raise incomes while cutting emissions. As an independent and registered charity in England and Wales[2], the Shell Foundation is an initiative of the oil major Shell plc, envisioned in 1997,[3] as a worldwide, social investment initiative to concentrate on working with external partners to promote sustainable development.

In 2000 the Foundation was incorporated as an independent UK-registered charity,[2] with an income stream underpinned by an initial endowment of $250m (£133m) from Shell. The organisation's 10-year objective is to raise the incomes of 60 million people earning less than a net living wage in Africa and Asia through clean energy solutions by 2032.[4]

Activities and charitable approach

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The Shell Foundation seeks to achieve this objective by fostering innovation and scaling technologies[5] that increase incomes for three core groups of people:[6]

  • Smallholder farmers (people who farm on less than 5 acres of land)
  • Transporters (people who aspire to drive electric vehicles)
  • Micro-entrepreneurs (people who are engaged in the small-scale provision of goods and services)

According to the Shell Foundation, these people represent the largest number whose incomes can be materially increased through clean energy. The organisation emphasises de-risking new technologies, driving innovation, and forming partnerships with industry leaders to scale clean energy solutions with embedded gender intentionality in order to empower as many women as men.[7]

Independence

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Maintaining independence from Shell and other entities is crucial for the Shell Foundation to work across public and private sectors to deliver its charitable objectives. The charitable status information is:

  • Registered Charity No. 1080999[2]
  • Registered Company No. 4007273 [8]

Shell Foundation's charitable status mandates that it exists solely to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit and is governed by its trustees who act exclusively in the interests of the charity, maintaining independence from any other organisation.

Governance and compliance

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Shell Foundation is governed by a board of trustees:[9] people from sectors relevant to the organisation's charitable mission, a minority of Shell executives (currently three) and an independent chairperson. It adheres to business principles,[10] ethics, and compliance, including transparency, non-discrimination, and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.[8]

Impact

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As of 2024, Shell Foundation asserts social and environmental impact across three metrics:

  • Lives Improved: 274.4 million
  • CO2 Reduced or Avoided: 67.5 million metric tonnes
  • Additional Finance Leveraged: $9.7 billion into clean energy solutions

Strategic partnerships amplify the organisation's impact through collaborations with entities like the UK Government's FCDO,[11] FMO Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank,[12] British International Investment,[13] and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.[14]

Partnerships

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Shell Foundation collaborates with proven sector leaders in Africa and Asia, co-designing partnerships to scale income-generating energy solutions. Key partnerships include:

  • UK Government's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) [15] through the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform[16] and the Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE)[17]
  • FMO Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank [12]
  • British International Investment [13]
  • U.S. International Development Finance Corporation [14]

The Shell Foundation has a portfolio with aligned organisations who believe change can come from clean energy solutions that raise incomes while cutting emissions.[18] They look for innovators, scale partners and finance partners.

Mobilising catalytic finance

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Shell Foundation mobilises catalytic finance to seek to relieve poverty and hardship and protect the environment, for the public benefit, through the promotion and development of business-based solutions and supportive market environments, to target large scale impact. The organisation focuses on interventions that address affordability, supply, and distribution of clean energy assets.[6]

Controversy

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On 28 September 2006, an article published in The Guardian newspaper alleged that "An attempt by Shell to portray itself as a model of corporate social responsibility was undermined last night after Whitehall documents showed its charitable arm discussing a key commercial project with a British government minister." The article entitled "Campaigners attack Shell’s charity arm over Sakhalin talks" related to The Shell Foundation. The Charity Commission subsequently conducted an inquiry and according to an article published in The Guardian on 17 October 2006, concluded that The Shell Foundation "has fallen short of the good governance and decision-making that we expect from large charities”.

References

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  1. ^ About the Shell Foundation
  2. ^ a b c "Charity Commission for England and Wales: Charity Overview". prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  3. ^ European Venture Philanthropy Association http://evpa.eu.com/membership/country/uk/4369
  4. ^ "About Shell Foundation". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  5. ^ "Our approach". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  6. ^ a b "People we serve". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  7. ^ "Our gender commitment". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  8. ^ a b "Charity Commission for England and Wales: Governance". prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  9. ^ "Charity Commission for England and Wales: Trustees". prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  10. ^ "Ethics and compliance". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  11. ^ "DevTracker Programme GB-1-204867". devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  12. ^ a b "news - Shell Foundation and FMO sign MOU to increase funds for energy sector in Africa and India - FMO". www.fmo.nl. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  13. ^ a b "Shell Foundation and British International Investment sign MoU to work in partnership to increase access to finance for clean energy businesses in Africa and South Asia". www.bii.co.uk/en/. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  14. ^ a b "DFC and Shell Foundation Launch New Collaboration to Accelerate Access to Renewable Energy and Gender Inclusion in Low-Income Communities in Africa and Asia | DFC". www.dfc.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  15. ^ "Shell Foundation and FCDO partnership". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  16. ^ "Transforming Energy Access (TEA)". www.carbontrust.com. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  17. ^ ayrtonexplostg (2023-11-30). "Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE)". The Ayrton Fund Explorer Tool. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  18. ^ "Our portfolio". Shell Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
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