Activists tracked down and targeted leaving drinks held for outgoing Shell (LON:SHEL) chief executive Ben van Beurden on Monday evening.
Protestors from groups including Just Stop Oil and Fossil Free London gathered in the snow outside the group’s Waterloo HQ to chant “shut down Shell” while staff from the supermajor toasted Mr van Beurden ahead of his retirement at the end of this year.
An invitation to attend the reception reportedly advised Shell staff to “avoid talking about the event outside of work”.
Fossil Free London issued a public call for further information and says it received an anonymous tip-off with the time and location of the event within 48 hours, before then calling for a public protest.
The departing chief exec has spent 39 years working for the energy giant, nine of which have been spent at the helm of the company.
However, the activists took aim at what one called “a toxic legacy and a toxic company”.
Their protest reportedly included the singing of re-worded Christmas carols and the signing of a goodbye card, writing messages to the outgoing CEO about what his time at the corporation has meant to them.
Other carried placards demanding an end to fossil fuel finance and North Sea drilling.
Fossil Free London suggested that the leaking of information on the event “may point to discontent within the company” and compared it to the high-profile resignation of safety consultant Caroline Dennett earlier this year.
© Supplied by Andrea Domeniconi /Fossil Free London member Joanna Warrington said: “Welcome to the real Londoners’ farewell to Ben van Beurden. Shell wanted to keep it secret because they know people hold Shell responsible for the extreme climate impacts we’re seeing. Shell, like BP and Chevron, conspired to cover up the lethal effects of continuing to use fossil fuels in order to protect their own short-term self-interest.”
“In Ben van Beurden’s 39 years at Shell, the company has ignored the warnings of top climate scientists by ploughing billions into fossil fuel projects that cannot go ahead if we want a safe and livable future. It has avoided taxes, lobbied against climate action and been complicit in the murder of environmental activists in the Niger Delta.
“Ben van Beurden leaves behind a toxic legacy and a toxic company, which threatens all our futures. It’s high time we shut down Shell.”
The company has been the target of a series of protests in recent months, including at its Aberdeen offices.
Responding to the Aberdeen incident, a Shell spokeswoman said: “We respect the right of people to protest and express their point of view. We agree that society needs to take urgent action on climate change.
“Shell has a clear target to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050.”
Meanwhile, Mr van Beurden has suggested he has few plans for retirement beyond golf, travel and more time with his family.
In an exit interview this week he said he does not believe he did anything wrong during his time at the company but wished he had acted sooner on some things, such as the company’s plans for Arctic drilling.
“In the end, and this is probably a little bit the story of Shell in general: we try to do the right thing as a thoughtful, committed, honest company, but sometimes we just take too long,” he said.
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