‘A Trojan horse of legitimacy’: Shell launches a ‘climate tech’ startup advertising jobs in oil and gas

Onward touts a vision of a clean energy future', but experts say ventures like this are part of fossil fuel firms' greenwashing plan

• This story is co-published with Drilled

A sleek new startup promising to advance the energy transition' launched earlier this month promising to [connect] thousands of innovators across the globe to tackle difficult energy and climate challenges".

The venture, Onward, is owned by Shell, a company that brought in $28bn in profits from oil and gas last year. The company's website says it is accelerating pathways to energy innovation", serving as a hub for innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurialism", and creating a compelling, evidence-based picture of the benefits of a net-zero future". Team bios include descriptions of an ideal day in our clean energy future": kitesurfing, snorkeling and hiking.