Shell Misses Out On Award (fwd)

[Ann Leonard <aleonard@essential.org>]

  WWF Canada statement regarding the controversy surrounding their nomiation
  of Shell for an environmental award:
  
  >The following statement has been developed 
  >in response to the recent controversy over 
  >WWF Canada's nomination of  Shell Canada 
  >Limited and three other oil companies for 
  >a B.C. environmental award (corporate 
  >category) in recognition of the significant 
  >conservation contribution they have made on 
  >Canada's west coast. We have recently 
  >learned from the B.C. government that the 
  >companies did not win the award. Rather, a 
  >Victoria-based firm specializing in the 
  >design of  sewage and wastewater treatment 
  >and recycling systems has been designated 
  >as the 1997 recipient of the corporate award. 
  >WWF has strong respect for the views expressed 
  >by many individuals on this issue. 
  >
  >Earlier this year, Shell Canada Limited, 
  >Chevron Canada Resources, Petro-Canada and 
  >Mobil Oil Canada donated 320,000 acres of 
  >mineral exploration rights off the north-
  >western coast of British Columbia to the 
  >Nature Conservancy of Canada.  
  >
  >This gift was announced at a formal signing 
  >ceremony in Calgary on March 19th. His Royal 
  >Highness, Prince Philip, attended the 
  >ceremony to witness the donation in his 
  >capacity as President Emeritus of WWF 
  >International. Also in attendance were 
  >representatives of the Haida Nation, aboriginal 
  >residents of the area, who paid their highest 
  >tribute in support of this action.
  >
  >WWF views the contribution of the four oil 
  >companies as being very significant, as it 
  >is a critical step towards the establishment 
  >of the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation 
  >Area Reserve which will constitute the marine 
  >component of Gwaii Haanas National Park. WWF is 
  >now pressing the federal government to take the 
  >necessary steps to have the marine reserve 
  >formally designated.
  >
  >The contribution of mineral permits is the largest 
  >in Canadian history to advance marine conservation. 
  >WWF believes that the contribution serves as an 
  >international example of how energy companies, 
  >governments, conservation groups and aboriginal 
  >people can work together for the environment.
  >
  >Because of the conservation significance of 
  >this specific contribution by the four oil 
  >companies, WWF nominated them for a B.C. 
  >provincial environmental award in the corporate 
  >category on April 7th. The nomination speaks 
  >solely to the four companies' contribution of 
  >the mineral rights. It is not an overall 
  >endorsement of their environmental practices 
  >or other activities elsewhere in Canada or 
  >around the world. 
  >
  >WWF believes in encouraging bona fide conservation 
  >initiatives, regardless of the sector from which 
  >they originate. As enunciated in WWF Canada's 
  >"Advocacy with Excellence" policy, "WWF recognizes 
  >that a wide range of stakeholders in Canada is 
  >interested in, and necessary to, making progress 
  >on conservation concerns.
  >
  >These interests include government, business, 
  >labour, aboriginal interests, scientists and 
  >other non-government organizations. Therefore, 
  >we don't summarily rule out working with whole 
  >sectors by subscribing to "anti" ideologies 
  >e.g. anti-logging, anti-hunting, anti-corporate 
  >or anti-labour). We support or work with 
  >anyone who shares our conservation mission."
  >
  >WWF  has not commented on the overall 
  >environmental record of any of the four oil 
  >companies and does not anticipate doing so. At 
  >the time of the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 
  >his colleagues in Nigeria, WWF International 
  >did publicly express its concern over the 
  >situation in the Niger Delta.
  >
  >To quote a portion of that statement: "Their 
  >death (that of Mr. Saro-Wiwa and colleagues) 
  >is symptomatic of the wider environmental and 
  >social problems created by the inequitable 
  >distribution of oil wealth in Nigeria, 
  >particularly among the communities most 
  >affected by oil operations and by the failure 
  >to develop the oil industry in an 
  >environmentally sensitive way. WWF does not 
  >feel that the oil companies have operated to 
  >the high environmental standards that they 
  >espouse in the developed world and calls upon 
  >them to meet international environmental and 
  >social standards wherever they operate." 
  >
  >WWF holds strongly to its right to act 
  >independently in the best interests of 
  >conservation. In return, we do not try 
  >to tell other groups who they should support 
  >or criticize. In some cases, our approach may 
  >mean commending corporations for specific 
  >conservation contributions in one part of the 
  >world and, where warranted, criticizing those 
  >same companies for inappropriate activities 
  >in another part of the world. We do not see 
  >this as a contradiction in terms or as being 
  >hypocritical; we see it as a practical effort 
  >to reform corporate behaviour in the best 
  >interests of the environment and people.    
  >
  >Recent news from the annual meeting of Royal 
  >Dutch Shell suggests that this policy is 
  >effective. As a result of strong pressure 
  >from WWF and Amnesty International, Shell 
  >has committed to improving the international 
  >standards under which the company operates.  
  >The company has also agreed to conduct an 
  >independent audit of the environmental impact 
  >of its activities.
  >
  >Those who were able to get this victory from 
  >Shell awarded part of the credit to WWF 
  >Canada's stance where we recognized the 
  >company for its positive action in Canada.  
  >They also said that Shell Canada was among 
  >the strongest supporters of these actions on 
  >the part of the parent company.
  >
  >Finally, many people have told us that they 
  >fear Shell will use their actions in Canada 
  >to cover up their actions elsewhere. We have 
  >talked directly with Shell Canada about this 
  >issue and have been told that no such 
  >"greenwashing" will occur.  Further, the recent 
  >activity at the Annual Meeting shows that this 
  >is not the case.
  >
  >I appreciate that we may still have a difference 
  >of opinion about the nomination for the B.C. 
  >Environmental Award, but wanted to make sure 
  >you were aware of the reasoning behind our decision.
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >Pegi Dover,
  >Director of Communications 
  >WWF Canada
  >pdover@wwwfcanada.org
  >
  >June, 1997
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >
  Ann Leonard