“Bristol is Ready for Cleaner Energy” proclaimed a under a Shell logo. With text saying that: “In the South West 78,000 homes use 100 per cent renewable electricity from Shell Energy”. Shell also used a 2022 television campaign that opened with a voice stating, “In the UK, 1.4 million households use 100 per cent renewable electricity from Shell” with the same claim of supply, and an internet video with similar claims.

All these adverts, and similar claims from Petronas and Repsol have fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

As green claims come under increasing scrutiny the decision that the adverts could mislead in another step towards codifying an exact definition of what can and cannot be claimed.

Acknowledging that consumers were likely to understand that Shell energy products derived from fossil fuels were environmentally detrimental and would be interested in seeking out businesses, including oil and gas companies, that were making meaningful progress towards transitioning away from higher-carbon products and services, the ASA ruled that the adverts were likely to mislead, giving the overall impression of the advert was that low-carbon energy products comprised a significant proportion of the energy products Shell invested in and sold in the UK in 2022 or were likely to do so in the near future.

Shell stated that their intent with the adverts was to raise consumer awareness of, and increase demand for, the range of lower emissions energy products and services they offered, the availability of which was increasing through continued investment

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