Shell’s current investments in exploration will help ensure continued activity over coming decades.
Research into biofuels, solar power, wind power and energy from hydrogen helps the organisation diversify in a market where ecological issues are of increasing concern, and also addresses issues of the longevity of fossil fuel reserves.
Diversification into products such as fuel cards and credit cards helps Shell maintain a wider portfolio of products, spreading risk.
Shell pioneered the use of scenarios, a planning tool where a range of possible future situations are explored and strategy adapted to ensure future demands can be met.
The organisation has worked hard to improve its general reputation and believes it is now seen more positively than it used to be.
Shell has utilised opportunities to develop strategic partnerships, for example, supplying CO2, which is a by-product of its refinery process, to Dutch tomato farmers who had previously used heaters (higher CO2 concentration in greenhouses accelerates tomato growth).