The British advertising watchdog has banned a campaign advertising Shell’s green initiatives, citing concerns that customers would be “likely to mislead” by the oil giant’s promotion of its lower emissions energy products.
A poster, a television commercial, and a video uploaded to Shell’s YouTube page are all at the centre of the controversy. The adverts, all of which appeared in 2022, promoted Shell’s energy goods with the slogan “The U.K. is ready for cleaner energy.”
“From electric vehicle charging to renewable electricity for your home, Shell is giving customers more low-carbon choices and helping drive the UK’s energy transition,” the company says in one of the ads.
On Tuesday, the Advertising Standards Authority released its findings after an inquiry into the campaign, saying that it might mislead consumers about the company’s commitment to renewable energy. The ASA claimed more data was needed to fully understand that Shell relies heavily on carbon-intensive fossil fuels.
Shell expressed alarm about the “short-sighted” move, given the company aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
“We strongly disagree with the ASA’s decision, which could slow the UK’s drive towards renewable energy,” a company spokesperson said.
“People are already well aware that Shell produces the oil and gas they depend on today,” they said. “But what many people don’t know is we’re also investing heavily in low- and zero-carbon energy, including building one of the UK’s largest public networks of EV charge points.”
The ASA ruling noted that Shell believed the ads “accurately represented” the range of lower emissions energy products and services it offers and that any mention of the firm’s high-carbon products would have been “counterproductive.”
