Name: Mark van Baal Explains How He's Pushing for Change at Shell | Amanpour and Company
Uploaded: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00
Duration: 171 s
Description: The U.N. warned last year that we barely have a decade to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, an emergency due in no small part to major fossil fuel companies. Dutch activist Mark van Baal wanted oil giants to change their policies, so he bought shares in one of the biggest oil companies in the world, Shell, and became a so-called activist investor, pushing for change from the inside.

Mark van Baal Explains How He’s Pushing for Change at Shell

The U.N. warned last year that we barely have a decade to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, an emergency due in no small part to major fossil fuel companies. Dutch activist Mark van Baal wanted oil giants to change their policies, so he bought shares in one of the biggest oil companies in the world, Shell, and became a so-called activist investor, pushing for change from the inside.

Read Transcript EXPAND

DO AS WELL YOU HAVE SOME 5,000 INVESTORS.

SHAREHOLDERS IN SHELL BACKING US UP BUT IT ALL STARTED AS A JOURNALIST.

I'M AN NGO TURNED JOURNALIST AFTER SEEING 'AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH' BY AL GORE SO I BECAME AN ENERGY AND CLIMATE JOURNALIST AND WROTE DOWN MANY TEAMS WOULDN'T IT IT BE GREAT IF SHELL OR BP OR OTHERS WOULD REALLY CHANGE COURSE AND LEAD US INTO THE ENERGY FUTURE AND STOP CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT DIDN'T WORK.

ANDING IN WE'VE DONNELL HAS WORKED EITHER.

WHEN IT COMES TO IT IS I'LL FUEL.

YOU'VE TAKEN A REAL INTERESTING ROUTE.

THESE COMPANIES ARE MUCH MORE POWERFUL.

AND ALL THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE PENSION FUNDS AND THEY ALL TALK ABOUT A GREEN PENSION, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE REKIER IN A DECENT WORLD AND I'M LIKE I NEED TO ORGANIZE SHARE HOLDERS.

TO SUPPORT.

SO BUY INTO THE COMPANY AND KIND OF INFLUENCE THEM FROM BEEN.

PEOPLE WERE ENCOURAGED ON WEBSITE AND I'M THE NEW SHAREHOLDER.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE WORLD.

YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO CHANGE WORLD.

THAT'S WHY I'M A SHAREHOLDER.

I JUST WANT TO PLAY SOME -- THAT SHOWS YOU AT ONE OF THESE SHAREHOLDER MEETING AND OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSING WITH BEN, THE CEO OF SHALL.

YOU REAL CHALLENGE HIM.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO STAND UP TO SOMEBODY LIKE THIS, AND HOW HONSIVE INTEREST THEY BEEN?

SO THE BEGINNING I WAS JUST THERE.

RENEWABLES, PLEASE HAVE SOME PATIENCE AND WE'LL TELL YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY.

About This Episode EXPAND

Bob Bauer and Evelyn Farkas join Christiane Amanpour to analyze Gordon Sondland’s impeachment testimony, Cass Sunstein sits down with Walter Isaacson to discuss the history of impeachment and Mark van Baal explains how he became a so-called activist investor in Shell, pushing for change from the inside at one of the biggest oil companies in the world.

LEARN MORE

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL