Shell, Statoil among energy companies forging climate advice group

LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Representatives from energycompanies including oil heavyweights Shell and Statoil have joined forces to advise on making cleaner energydecisions, the latest push by energy firms to become morepro-active on climate issues.

Shell Chairman Chad Holliday, Statoil Vice-President BjornOtto Sverdrup and RWE Chief Executive Peter Terium areamong a list of commissioners acting in a personal capacity toadvise governments on how to change their energy markets withoutdamaging the environment.

"It is inherently difficult to change from provendevelopment paths to something more fundamentally uncertain, butchange we must," the so-called Energy Transitions Commissionsaid in a launch paper seen by Reuters.

The group said it aims to help decision-makers in makinginformed choices by providing research and encouraging debate.

The commission will be formally launched at an event inTexas on Monday.

The initiative follows closely in the footsteps of a callmade by oil and gas companies, including Shell and Statoil aswell as BP, Total, BG Group and ENI, for the introduction of acarbon pricing system.

(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; editing by Susan Thomas)