‘We have to shut down Shell’: Climate activists target oil giant’s Waterloo headquarters

Climate activists protested outside Shell’s headquarters this morning to condemn the oil giant’s role in the climate crisis and soaring energy prices.

The protest, which was organised by Fossil Free London, saw around 50 people assemble around the company’s Waterloo offices in Belvedere Road to demand that Shell be shut down.

It comes on the final day of The Big One, Extinction Rebellion’s four-day mobilisation, which has seen thousands of environmental protesters gather in London.

Shell has been a repeated target for demonstrators, owing to its commitment to expanding oil and gas drilling, and the record-breaking £32.2bn profits it accrued during last year’s oil price spike.

Last month, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change spelt out that new fossil fuel projections are incompatible with climate plans.

Joanna Warrington 28, from Brixton, is a spokesperson for Fossil Free London and said: “Shell is throwing our future on the bonfire.

“They’re fueling climate collapse, pushing up our energy bills, and wrecking lives and livelihoods around the world. This is an emergency, but time and time again fossil fuel companies have shown us that they will prioritise profit, over the safety and survival of humanity.

“Our message this morning is clear: business as usual for fossil fuel companies is incompatible with a liveable future. We have to shut down Shell.”

A spokesman for Shell said: “We respect the right of everyone to express their point of view and agree that society needs to take urgent action on climate change.

“Shell has clear target to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050. We plan to invest up to £25 billion in the UK energy system over the next decade, providing individual projects remain economically viable under the revised tax regime, and subject to board approval.

“More than 75 per cent of this is intended for low and zero-carbon technology, including offshore wind, hydrogen and electric mobility.”

Pictured top: Protesters outside Shell’s headquarters in Waterloo (Picture: Andrea Domeniconi/Fossil Free London)