Shell calls for policy stability
CEO Ben van Beurden says transition investments are easier to make in a stable policy environment
A stable policy environment will help Shell invest in the UK’s low-carbon transition, says the firm’s CEO Ben van Beurden. Shell made a profit of $9.1bn in the first quarter of 2022, up from $3.2bn last year. The firm does not separate out the share of its profits made in the UK, but says it pays tax on those profits. Asked whether a windfall tax would affect its ten-year plan to invest £20-25bn ($26-33bn)—more than 75pc of which is intended for low-carbon products and services—in the UK energy system, van Beurden called for policy stability. “If there was a windfall tax on the North Sea would that affect our plans for electric vehicle charging investments? I suppose not,” says van Beurden.
Also in this section
28 November 2025
The launch of the bloc’s emissions trading system in 2005 was a pioneering step, but as the scheme hits 21 its impact as a driver of decarbonisation is still open to debate
18 November 2025
Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Dewhurst Award, the highest honour bestowed by WPC Energy. The Dewhurst Award celebrates exceptional leadership, groundbreaking innovation and a lifetime of significant achievements in sup-port of the development and advancement of the energy industry.
11 November 2025
Transition policies must recognise that significant industrial demand for carbon will continue even as economies hit net zero
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined






