Environmentalists uncover Shell’s dirty flaring secret

Oil giant Shell continues to practice gas flaring in Nigeria despite having known of its environmental and health dangers for the past 15 years, according to a new report published this week.

Since 1996 Shell has promised to stop gas flaring in Nigeria - the biggest source of heat trapping gas in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank - yet the practice continues to this day.

‘Shell’s Big Dirty Secret’, written by Friends of the Earth and Oil Change International, reveals that Shell’s motive for continuing to flare gas is purely financial.

Leaked internal Shell documents show that “the company has systematically placed their profits before the environment or local communities when it came to putting flares out,” the report said.

If Shell stopped flaring gas in Nigeria, it would lose out on the equivalent of just 10% of last year’s profit.

Meanwhile, Nigeria spends $2.5-3 billion per year dealing with the effects of gas flaring, the report said.

The report highlights a 2005 study in Nigeria’s Bayelsa state, which found that flaring is responsible for 49 premature deaths, 5,000 child respiratory illnesses, and 120,000 asthma attacks every year.

Steve Kretzmann from Oil Change International said: “The company’s new CEO, Peter Voser, has the power to stop gas flaring, spare Nigerians from inhaling deadly toxins, and help to curb climate change in one stroke.

“The question is: will he?”

Paul de Clerck of FoE International added: “Shell attempts to paint itself as a sustainable company when in reality it is the dirtiest oil producer of all.

“It continues to make huge profits but still argues that it cannot afford to pay for effective carbon dioxide reduction measures.

“The EU should no longer listen to Shell in talks about tackling climate change.”