Shell consultant hits out at company for ‘extreme harm’

The woman admitted her reputation might be damaged but she had to make a stand and “walk away” due to this key issue.

A woman who had worked for Shell for 11 years has quit spectacularly, dropping a bombshell video on social media that accused the oil and gas company of causing “extreme harm”.

Caroline Dennett, a senior safety consultant, claimed Shell had a “disregard for climate risks” and was “fully aware” it was causing “extreme harm” to the world’s climate, environment, nature and people.

She revealed she had sent an email to Shell’s executives and 1400 staff outlining her reasons, for quitting including “completely failing on their safety ambition to do no harm”.

She filmed a video expanding on her reasons for the resignation. Picture: LinkedIn

The director of UK-based firm Clout urged others to follow her lead and “walk away” from the gas and oil industry while there was “still time”.

“I can no longer work for a company that ignores all the alarms and dismisses the risks of climate change and ecological collapse,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

“Because, contrary to Shell’s public expressions around Net Zero, they are not winding down on oil and gas, but planning to explore and extract much more.

“I want Shell execs and management to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they really believe their vision for more oil and gas extraction secures a safe future for humanity.

“We must end all new extraction projects immediately and rapidly transition away from fossil fuels, and towards clean renewable energy sources.

“Shell should be using all its capital, technical and human power to lead this transition, but they have no plan to do this.”

The criminal justice graduate began working with Shell after BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, with her company specialising in evaluating safety procedures for high risk industries.

On May 5, 2022 Shell reported a record first-quarter profit, boosted by soaring oil prices in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Picture: Koen van Weel/ANP/AFP/Netherlands OUT

Ms Dennett admitted it could damage her business and career but was inspired to make a stand after watching footage of protesters from climate action group Extinction Rebellion urging the company’s employees to leave.

“I don’t know what impact this action will have on my business and career, and it’s possible my reputation may be damaged in the eyes of people I have worked with,” she added. “However, I feel like there is no other choice I can make.”

In 2020, several Shell executives left its clean energy sector left after reports they were frustrated by the company’s slow transition into greener fuels.

The Leuna oil refinery and chemical park in Germany, where energy companies including Shell are active. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A Shell spokesperson said: “Be in no doubt, we are determined to deliver on our global strategy to be a net zero company by 2050 and thousands of our people are working hard to achieve this. We have set targets for the short, medium and long term, and have every intention of hitting them.

“We’re already investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, although the world will still need oil and gas for decades to come in sectors that can’t be easily decarbonised.”

Originally published as Shell consultant hits out at company for ‘extreme harm’