Shell walks ‘tightrope’ of demands amid climate pressures

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell investors are expected to change the company’s name and approve moving its headquarters from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. The vote Friday comes as the oil giant faces criticism it has been slow to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Shell says the changes will accelerate payouts to shareholders and help the company shift its focus to renewable energy. The plan includes a simplified corporate structure that will give the Anglo-Dutch firm a single class of shares. The move illustrates the challenges oil companies face as they pivot from a business model that has generated huge profits and reliable dividend payments for shareholders toward a more uncertain future tied to wind, solar and biofuels.