Ben van Beurden, outgoing CEO of Shell
Pay more tax to protect markets – van Beurden
Outgoing Shell chief sees higher government take as a much lesser threat to the oil and gas industry
Ben van Beurden, CEO of Shell, dismissed on Tuesday suggestions that energy market mechanisms by themselves can tackle current “unprecedented” moves in end-user prices. But he told the Energy Intelligence Forum that the audience should accept paying higher taxes to fund state interventions on behalf of hard-pressed consumers as a lesser evil than governments seeking solutions in modifying the functioning of wholesale markets. “Voices are there saying, ‘let the market take care of it; the best remedy against high energy prices is high energy prices,’” says van Beurden. “I am afraid I do not subscribe to that view. You simply cannot have a market that behaves in such a way… that it is going to
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
