XPost: alt.global-warming   
      
     Royal Dutch Shell Plc   
     ETR:R6C - 12 Feb, 4:34 pm GMT+1   
     15.72 +0.36 (2.34%)			*** up 2.3% ***   
      
   Shell announces new emissions goals as it aims to be net-zero by 2050   
   Anjli Raval, Financial Times via Carbon Brief   
      
   There is continuing coverage of Royal Dutch Shell's "accelerated   
   strategy" to become a net-zero company by 2050. The Financial Times   
   reports: "[Shell] said its net emissions intensity - a measurement of   
   carbon per megajoule of energy sold - would fall 6-8% from 2016 levels   
   by 2023, 20% by 2030, 4% by 2035 and 100% by 2050. Setting Shell apart   
   from its peers, the target included not just the CO2 emissions   
   released from its operations and use of its products, but also those   
   from the oil and gas that others produce and Shell sells through its   
   marketing arm." The company plans to continue generating cash from its   
   legacy oil business, but plough more "over time" into gas, chemicals,   
   renewables and selling power, the FT adds. Shell intends to invest   
   heavily in its "transition pillar", pouring up to twice as much money   
   into natural gas as into renewable energy, reports the Press   
   Association. It adds: "The oil giant said that it would invest around   
   $4bn (£2.9bn) every year to allow it to add another 7m tonnes of   
   liquid natural gas production to its capacity by 2025. The company   
   will also invest around $8bn dollars in exploration of new oil and gas   
   every year."   
      
   Shell's strategy includes plans to operate 500,000 electric vehicle   
   charging points globally by 2025, reports the Times, up from 60,000   
   today. And as many as 2.5m by 2030, a second Times article says. Shell   
   is also "eyeing the expansion of its hydrogen and biofuels   
   businesses", says Axios, including developing what the company   
   describes as "integrated hydrogen hubs to serve industry and   
   heavy-duty transport". And the company says it will continue to expand   
   its interests in selling electricity, reports BusinessGreen, a move it   
   began in earnest after acquiring First Utility - since renamed Shell   
   Energy - in 2017. In a statement, CEO Ben van Beurden said the   
   strategy "will drive down carbon emissions and will deliver value for   
   our shareholders, our customers and wider society", reports the   
   Hill. He added: "We must give our customers the products and services   
   they want and need - products that have the lowest environmental   
   impact. At the same time, we will use our established strengths to   
   build on our competitive portfolio as we make the transition to be a   
   net-zero emissions business in step with society." Shareholders will   
   vote on the strategy at this year's AGM, says CityAM.   
      
   Carbon Brief has analysed Shell's new 1.5C pathway, finding that it is   
   virtually identical to its 2C predecessor, with Shell's vision of a   
   continued role for oil, gas and coal until the end of the century   
   remaining essentially the same.   
      
   Shell's upgraded targets "will be seen as an attempt by the   
   Anglo-Dutch company to address criticism that it has been slower to   
   act than some rivals", reports the Evening Standard. It adds: "With no   
   measures to grow its solar and wind power generation capacity,   
   analysts were quick to point out that spending will remain tilted   
   towards oil and gas in the near future." The plans "have raised   
   concerns among green campaigners that Shell may still increase its   
   emissions in the coming decade, which is considered a crucial period   
   to avoid a climate catastrophe", notes the Guardian. The New York   
   Times adds that "there was little that was new in Shell's announcement   
   about future investments, and the company's commitments to invest   
   $2-3bn a year in renewable energy like wind and solar lagged some of   
   its peers". And campaigners tell DeSmog UK that Shell's strategy   
   includes an "impossible" reliance on tree-planting. Guardian financial   
   editor Nils Pratley says calling the strategy an "acceleration" is a   
   generous self-assessment. He adds: "In today's Big Oil terms, the   
   approach is a cruise down the middle lane - a tweak here and there,   
   but nothing to frighten those shareholders still scarred by last   
   year's cut of two-thirds in the dividend." The Financial Times Lex   
   column notes that "if shareholders are worried that the company has   
   given up on its main source of income, they should rest easy". And the   
   Daily Telegraph`s chief city commentator Ben Marlow says :"Ben Van   
   Beurden is absolutely right when he says 'the energy transition must   
   be faster'...Yet it's still not entirely clear what Shell proposes to do   
   about it."   
      
   Lastly, Bloomberg reports that Shell "will not raise salaries for most   
   of its employees this year...as it looks to save cash amid an overhaul   
   of the company". And, separately, the Guardian reports that emergency   
   crews in Richmond, California are rushing to clean up an estimated 600   
   gallons of oil that spilled from a Chevron refinery into the San   
   Francisco Bay.   
      
   --   
   Microsoft calls on other countries to follow Australia's lead on media   
   bargaining code   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 0:45Z   
   Microsoft's Brad Smith says the United States Government should not object   
   to Australia's media bargaining code, urging govts such as the US,   
   Canada and the European Union to follow Australia's lead in forcing tech   
   giants to pay for news content.   
      
   New Zealand plans to start COVID-19 vaccinations next week   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 01:44Z   
   Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country's COVID-19 inoculation   
   program will begin on Feb 20, brought forward by taking receipt of the   
   Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier than anticipated.   
      
   Victoria to enter snap five-day coronavirus lockdown from midnight tonight   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 02:16Z   
   All of Victoria will enter a snap five-day lockdown to respond to a growing   
   coronavirus outbreak linked to the Holiday Inn hotel at Melbourne Airport.   
      
     NT declares Greater Melbourne a COVID hotspot   
     ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 01:43Z   
     Anyone arriving into the NT from Greater Melbourne will be required to enter   
     mandatory quarantine at Howard Springs.   
      
     NSW health authorities rush to track down 7,000 travellers possibly exposed   
     to COVID-19   
     ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 02:17Z   
     NSW Health is urgently contacting 7,000 people who entered NSW from Victoria   
     after attending COVID-19 exposure sites throughout Melbourne Airport, as   
     Victoria plunges into a snap lockdown.   
      
   BREAKING (12 Feb): Prem Dan Andrews has announced a 5 day "circuit   
   breaker" from midnight. He says there is no evidence that cases have   
   escaped metro Melbourne but the whole state would see the same   
   restrictions because there was no way to erect the Ring Of Steel in 24   
   hrs. At present 905 people have been found to be contacts of infected   
   people and must remain in isolation for 2 wks. Mr Andrews confirmed   
   all cases in the current outbreak involve the new infectious UK   
   strain. He said the new strain is not the 2020 covid, and it's "moving   
   at light speed".   
      
   Lancet report faults Trump for 'avoidable' coronavirus deaths   
   The Hill, 11 Feb 2021 15:34Z   
   A report in the British medical journal The Lancet blames former President   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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