* Activist resolution wins 30% support at AGM
* Investors ramped up pressure on Shell to tackle climate
(Adds details, graphic)
By Ron Bousso
LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell
shareholders overwhelmingly supported the company's energy
transition strategy on Tuesday, but rising backing for a second
climate resolution filed by an activist group pointed to growing
pressure to tackle climate change.
A non-binding resolution submitted by Shell with the support
of a large group of investors to vote on its recently unveiled
climate strategy won 88.74% shareholder support at its annual
general meeting (AGM) which was held online.
The plan, announced in February, aims to reduce
planet-warming carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 by slowly
reducing oil and gas output, growing its renewables and
low-carbon business and offsetting emissions through carbon
capturing technologies and measures such as
forestation.
Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden said at the AGM that the strategy,
which will be updated every three years, was "comprehensive...
rigorous and... ambitious."
A second resolution filed by activist group Follow This
urging the Anglo-Dutch company to set "inspirational" targets to
battle greenhouse gas emissions, was rejected by 69.53% of the
votes, according to a tally of most votes.
Still, the nearly one-third of votes supporting the
resolution, which Shell's board urged shareholders to reject, is
a sharp increase from last year's vote where a similar
resolution won 14.4% support.
Several investors, advisories and activist groups including
Follow This have criticised Shell for setting intensity-based
carbon reduction targets, which allow Shell in theory to grow
its emissions, rather than absolute reduction targets.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by Louise Heavens)