You Can Be Sure of Shell

Since nobody is forcing them to do better, some of the world's most prominent corporate climate vandals are adding a little gloss to their greenwash. Doubtless spurred by the spirit of buccaneering laissez rien faire in the British Conservative Party, Royal Dutch Shell has set itself a target of carbon neutrality in thirty years' time; though not, of course, by any such crude and primitive method as cutting its fossil fuel production. Rather, it hopes to work with its equally conscientious friends in the airline industry to incentivise renewable consumption, while maintaining a millenarian faith in future cleaning-up technology and offsetting its profiteering by letting other people plant trees. Presumably in the next few decades we shall see the Niger delta bloom forth as a conifer forest, while Shell executives and the British Conservative Party shake their heads in pained wonder at the natives' obstinate refusal to set up house in the affordable trees. Still, in justice to the company it should be noted that the plans are apparently good enough for the Church of England's pensions board; which is really all anyone needs to know.