“We can’t have a market that behaves like this” […] which harms an important part of society”, said, in the question-and-answer session of an energy conference (Energy Intelligence Forum), taking place in London.
“Somehow, government intervention is needed that translates […] protecting the poorest and that probably means governments should tax the people in this room more to pay [essa proteção]”he said before an audience of executives and directors of energy companies.
“I think we have to accept this social reality,” he insisted, adding that “it can be done intelligently or not.”
Ben van Beurden’s comments came at a time when there is talk of an additional tax on energy companies that have seen their profits soar after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which has led to a surge in oil and gas in recent months.
The Shell CEO, who announced he would be stepping down from his position at the end of this year, expressed doubts about the idea of imposing a ceiling on the price of Russian oil, an initiative the G7 countries are defending on the grounds of preventing Moscow from funding itself in this way for military intervention in Ukraine.
“I struggle to see that a cap on Russian oil prices could be effective,” he said, according to comments on Twitter and quoted by AFP.
Source: DN
