Shell Renews Support for Global Cookstove Alliance with $6 Million Donation

AsiaNet 54402

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ -

    Shell today pledged an additional $6 million to the Global Alliance for

Clean Cookstoves, which aims to save lives and protect the environment through

the use of improved cookstoves and fuels. This follows $6 million of Shell

funding announced in 2010, and the secondment of a Shell employee to the

Alliance. Shell is the single largest private-sector contributor to the

Alliance.

    To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63456-shell-supports-global-alliance-clean-cookstove

    Globally, nearly three billion people still cook food and warm their homes

using solid fuels, such as wood or charcoal. It is estimated that daily

exposure to smoke from open fires and basic cookstoves contributes to four

million premature deaths each year, with women and children most affected.

Furthermore, the time spent searching for wood and other fuels takes millions

of women and children away from earning a living or attending school, and

inefficient cookstoves contribute increased emissions of greenhouse gases and

black carbon, or soot, to the atmosphere.

    Encouraging the use of specially designed clean cookstoves, which can

significantly reduce fuel use, cooking time and emissions, is an

internationally recognised solution.

    "Nearly half of the world's population do not have access to modern energy

that is safe, reliable and affordable," said Hugh Mitchell, Chief Human

Resources and Corporate Officer, Royal Dutch Shell plc. "Cooperation among

business, government and society is essential to addressing such a large-scale

challenge.

    "The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a strong example of how

collaboration across sectors can help bring modern energy solutions to the

developing world. Shell is pleased to continue its support for the Alliance to

encourage the widespread adoption of cleaner, more efficient cookstoves and

fuels."

    The Alliance is a public-private partnership founded in 2010 by the United

Nations Foundation. Shell became a founding partner to make a positive impact

on a global energy-related challenge.

    The Alliance aims to switch 100 million homes to clean and efficient stoves

and fuels by 2020. It targets the market barriers that impede the production,

deployment and use of clean cookstoves in developing countries.

    Shell's $6 million donation announced today will be phased, and brings

Shell's total donation to the Alliance to $12 million during the period of

2011-2016.

    "From day one, Shell has been a tremendously effective and engaged partner

in the Alliance's efforts to support entrepreneurs and raise awareness about

this little known issue," said Radha Muthiah, Executive Director of the Global

Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. "Shell's renewed commitment to the Alliance, in

conjunction with its multifaceted expertise and global reach, will enable us to

deepen our in-country market-development activities, and help to spur the

adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels at scale."

    Shell's contribution is targeted to maximise its impact, and so far has

been directed towards the development of global standards, regional testing

centers and a market assessment toolkit for the cookstoves sector. Market

assessments funded by Shell were carried out in Indonesia, Nigeria, South

Africa and Timor Leste, and are underway in China. In addition, Shell helped

launch "Spark Fund" in 2012, which provides grant capital to scale up

enterprises that have the potential to transform the cookstoves sector.

    Shell's support builds on work of Shell Foundation, an independent charity.

For more than 10 years, Shell Foundation has been active in developing the

clean cookstoves market as a way to deliver social and environmental impact at

scale. It works across the value chain to pioneer sustainable ways to supply

stoves to homes in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and to tackle market

barriers such as affordability, customer awareness and rural distribution. This

work has benefited more than four million people. Shell Foundation's efforts to

convene networks of practitioners led to the creation of the Global Alliance

for Clean Cookstoves with the UN Foundation in 2010.

    Notes to Editors

    Access to energy

    Globally more than 1.2 billion people are without access to electricity and

2.8 billion people rely on wood or other biomass to cook and heat their homes,

according to the World Bank. More than 95% of these people are either in

sub-Saharan African or developing Asia, and 80% are in rural areas.

    Access to modern energy is widely recognised as a critical enabler of

economic and social development. It allows communities to build new roads,

hospitals and schools. Families can heat, cool and light their homes, and

safely prepare warm meals. Numerous studies have shown that energy access is

fundamental to reducing poverty, increasing productivity, enhancing

competitiveness, and promoting economic growth.

    According to the International Energy Agency, achieving universal access to

energy by 2030 could cost the world around $1 trillion in cumulative investment

- or about $49 billion per year - which is less than a 5% increase on what is

currently invested in energy each year.

    Clean cooking solutions

    For many in the developing world, cooking food, boiling water and heating

or cooling their homes can be fraught with challenges. Women and children can

face severe personal risks as they search for fuel, especially near refugee

camps and in conflict zones. Daily exposure to the harmful smoke from

traditional cookstoves and open fires is said to contribute to four million

premature deaths annually with women and young children the most affected,

according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Inefficient cookstoves

also contribute to climate change through the emissions of greenhouse gasses

and black carbon, or soot. Time spent collecting fuel could be better spent on

income generation, education or other activities. Where fuel must be purchased,

the cost places a high burden on families struggling to meet their basic needs.

    Fortunately, the prospects for success are stronger than ever before.

Cleaner, more fuel efficient cookstoves now exist that, if deployed in large

numbers, could alleviate pressure on natural resources, reduce environmental

impacts, provide health benefits and provide new economic opportunities for

women and their families.

    Shell and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

    Shell's core business is providing innovative energy solutions. Energy

access is a key theme of Shell's social investment strategy worldwide. Shell is

leveraging its financial contribution to the Alliance by bringing technical and

business skills to help the Alliance achieve its goals. Through the secondment

of a Shell professional, Shell has provided business expertise to attract

financing to the cookstoves sector. The secondee is helping the Alliance

attract investors and increasing access to carbon finance for clean cooking

enterprises. Shell is also raising awareness across its networks and helping to

recruit more public and private partners for the Alliance.  

    Shell Foundation

    Shell Foundation is an independent charity set up by Shell in 2000 to

catalyse enterprise-based solutions to tackle global development challenges at

scale and in ways that are sustainable. Shell Foundation has pioneered a model

that uses business thinking, patient grant funding and extensive business

support to address issues such as access to energy, urban mobility and

sustainable job creation. It now has several long-term partners that are

achieving large-scale impact across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

    Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its

headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam and New York

stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 80 countries and

territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production;

production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids;

manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and

renewable energy projects. For further information, visit http://www.shell.com

    Cautionary Note

    The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns

investments are separate entities. In this announcement "Shell", "Shell Group"

and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are

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"Subsidiaries", "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this

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influence but not control are referred to as "associated companies" or

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"jointly controlled entities". In this announcement, associates and jointly

controlled entities are also referred to as "equity-accounted investments". The

term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or

indirect (for example, through our 23 per cent shareholding in Woodside

Petroleum Ltd.) ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or

company, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

    This announcement contains forward looking statements concerning the

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and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable

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forward looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly

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to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking

statements. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in

Shell's 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2012 (available at

http://www.shell.com/investor and http://www.sec.gov). These factors also

should be considered by the reader.  Each forward looking statement speaks only

as of the date of this announcement, 26th September 2013. Neither Shell nor any

of its subsidiaries nor the Shell Group undertake any obligation to publicly

update or revise any forward looking statement as a result of new information,

future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could

differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward

looking statements contained in this announcement.

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    SOURCE: Royal Dutch Shell plc