By Atoyebi Nike
Global oil major Shell has reported a staggering $4.26 billion in profit for the second quarter of 2025, surpassing analyst forecasts and pledging a $3.5 billion share buyback moves that have reignited public fury over fossil fuel profits during a time of deepening climate disaster.
The earnings announcement comes as communities from Greece to Portugal battle deadly wildfires, floods, and record-breaking heat waves climate events scientists say are intensified by fossil fuel emissions.
“Shell’s astronomical profits are a slap in the face to the millions already living through climate catastrophe,” said Matilda Borgström, UK campaigner at climate justice group 350.org. “While people are suffering and public services are under pressure, Shell is cashing in fueling the crisis while dodging accountability.”
Campaigners argue that Shell’s continued reliance on oil and gas extraction exposes a global economic system that rewards environmental destruction while leaving vulnerable populations to bear the consequences.
The company’s soaring profits also come as many governments, including the UK’s, cut budgets for climate adaptation, disaster response, and development aid often citing financial constraints.
Activists are demanding urgent reforms, including:
A tax on extreme wealth and fossil fuel profits to ensure polluters pay for the damage caused.
An end to fossil fuel subsidies and redirection of public funds toward community-led renewable energy.
Support for a UN Tax Convention to combat corporate tax evasion and raise global public revenues for climate action.
“The firestorms across Europe are a grim reminder that the climate crisis is not a future threat, it’s a present injustice,” Borgström said. “It’s time to tax their billions and fund real climate solutions driven by communities, not corporations.”
