Campaigners attack Shell's charity arm over Sakhalin talks (Guardian)

[Eugene]

Campaigners attack Shell's charity arm over Sakhalin talks

· Foundation chief spoke up for firm at Benn meeting
· Green group says body is 'a charade and a con'

Rob Evans and Terry Macalister
Thursday September 28, 2006
The Guardian

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 multinational oil company says the charity it funds - the Shell Foundation - is
completely independent and contributes nothing towards its profits. But documents
released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act show the director of the
charity, Kurt Hoffman, and the chairman of Shell UK, James Smith, lobbied the secretary
of state for international development, Hilary Benn, in January at a meeting they had
asked for.

Mr Hoffman discussed the controversial Sakhalin-2 scheme, which is expected to be one
of Shell's main money-spinners. The £11bn gas project is the target of vociferous opposition
from environmental groups and is being investigated by the Russian government.

-snip-

But this did not placate environmental campaigners. Mika Minio, of the Platform group,
which monitors the oil industry, said: "What is a guy from the supposedly independent
foundation doing arguing Shell's case side by side with someone from the commercial side?
These documents show that the Shell Foundation is a con and a charade. It's a PR vehicle
to further Shell's business interests."

-snip-

Full article: http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1882372,00.html