Tell Shell’s new CEO to scrap Arctic drilling | GREENPEACE New Zealand

Tell Shell’s new CEO to scrap Arctic drilling | GREENPEACE New Zealand

Any day now, Gazprom will start pumping the world’s first drops of oil from beneath the icy Arctic seas, home to polar bears and where a spill would be impossible to clean up.

If Gazprom isn’t stopped, this trickle could soon become a flood. But the oil giant’s ability to turn the pristine Arctic into a wasteland depends on its powerful partner: Shell. The two have signed a reckless deal to open up even more of the far north to drilling -- but it’s not set in stone yet. Shell’s new boss takes over in January and with him comes a chance to rethink the company’s Arctic folly.

We know that many inside Shell are not convinced by Arctic drilling, and investors are increasingly skeptical. With the recent global outcry against the imprisonment of 28 peaceful activists and 2 freelance journalists following a protest at a Gazprom oil platform, this may be the best chance we’ve ever had to protect this fragile region.

Tell Shell’s new CEO, Ben van Beurden, to put scrapping Arctic oil drilling and ending the risky deal with Gazprom at the top of his to-do list.