Engaging with communities
Many of our operations are located close to communities and we aim to be a good neighbour. This includes strong community engagement, managing the negative social impacts of our operations and delivering a range of benefits through jobs, local business opportunities and social investment programmes.
Working with communities
We engage with communities to help us understand their needs and expectations. This engagement enables us to identify and manage impacts from our activities and provide access to remedy. Engagement is a continuous process that helps us improve our decision-making and performance. Shell's Safety, Environment and Asset Management (SEAM) Standards are designed to help us to operate responsibly and avoid or minimise any potentially negative environmental and social impacts that may result from our operations.
Communities can raise concerns in a number of ways. At large projects and assets, community engagement practitioners act as a bridge between local communities and our operations. Community feedback mechanisms allow us to receive, track and respond to questions and complaints.
Our SEAM standards require us to apply special procedures in situations involving involuntary resettlement, cultural heritage, Indigenous Peoples or operations in environments with high or unusual social risks.

Social investment

Our activities contribute to economies through taxes, jobs and business opportunities. We also make social investments in areas determined by local community needs and priorities. These investments are sometimes voluntary, sometimes required by governments, or part of a contractual agreement. Shell has three priority areas for social investment: access to energy; skills and enterprise development; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
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Page last updated: March 25, 2025