Motorists who fill up at Shell service stations in the Netherlands will be able to drive “carbon neutral” through the use of nature-based carbon credits, the company announced.
Shell buys these credits from a global portfolio of nature-based projects, including Cordillera Azul National Park Project in Peru, Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project in Indonesia and GreenTrees Reforestation Project in the USA. Each carbon credit is subject to a third-party verification process and represents the avoidance or removal of 1 tonne of CO2, Shell said.
The carbon credits will apply to CO2 emissions generated by participating motorists, as well from the extraction, refining and distribution of the fuel. This will be done at no extra cost for customers who choose Shell VPower petrol or diesel, while those who fill up with regular Shell petrol or diesel can participate for an additional 1 cent a litre, the company said.
Shell said it will roll out similar choices to customers in other countries, starting with the UK later this year. It’s too soon to say what the announcement means for Shell’s network of service stations in Canada, spokeswoman Tara Lemay told JWN, “but given the scale of Canada’s landscape, forests, wetlands and other natural carbon sinks, the country has tremendous potential to be a suitable location for large scale nature-based solutions projects,” she said, adding that Shell is working with governments in Canada, thought leaders, environmental groups and other businesses to explore opportunities.
“This includes looking at government legislation, regulations and other frameworks that could provide the incentive to invest in nature at scale in Canada,” Lemay said. “These actions link to Canada’s Paris Agreement targets and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.”
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