Shell Malaysia Boosts Sustainable Development Initiatives through Grants Programme

Kuala Lumpur, 5 November 2008

The purpose of the grants programme is to empower qualifying groups in promoting and initiating more sustainable development projects, thereby accelerating our progress towards sustainable development in the country.

For Shell, contributing to sustainable development means helping meet the world’s growing need for energy in economically, socially and environmentally responsible ways.  Sustainable development has always been a prime focus for Shell and today's initiative is a further commitment by the company in helping progress efforts towards meeting today’s sustainability challenges.

"Long before climate change issues took centre stage, Shell made a pledge to Sustainable Development. We committed to running its business in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs," explained Dato’ Saw Choo Boon, Chairman of Shell Malaysia.

For this inaugural award, a sum of RM300,000 has been allocated to assist qualifying Malaysia-based NGOs, local academic institutions, schools, societies and individuals in executing their SD initiatives.

"With the introduction of the Shell Malaysia Sustainable Development Grants Programme, we hope to create continuous dialogue with this audience and in so doing, enable us to enhance our work relationships. More importantly, we hope that through this Programme, we will be able to at least kick-start more projects that contribute to sustainable development," said Dato' Saw.

Shell Malaysia believes that this special funding will act as a catalyst towards helping the endeavours of special groups and individuals, in achieving or improving their targets in two categories, which are the main focus areas for this award cycle:

• Environmental conservation – projects to conserve biodiversity, natural resources and ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, peat swamps. These projects may be terrestrial, marine, estuarine, freshwater or aerial in nature
• Sustainable livelihood – projects for the development of the poor and/or community livelihood, especially capacity building.

Projects will be selected based on practicality, its direct benefits, financial need, sustainability and originality by an independent panel of three judges:

• Dato' Dr Dionysius S.K. Sharma, Executive Director/CEO of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia
• Dr Sulochana Nair, Director of Centre for Poverty and Development Studies, University Malaya
• Mr Chew Seng Choon, Executive Director, Business Council for Sustainable Development in Malaysia

Starting today, Shell Malaysia will be accepting applications for its SD Grants Programme. It is open to qualifying groups for either new or on-going sustainable development initiatives that fall within the two focus areas. Application guidelines can be found at www.shell.com.my.
 
Interested groups or individuals have until 1st December 2008 to submit their applications to Shell Malaysia Sustainable Development Grants, 11th Floor, Bangunan Shell Malaysia, Changkat Semantan, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.  For more information, contact Ayisha Arshad at 03 2091 2252 or Haniza Rahman at 03 2091 3795.

ENQUIRIES:
For further editorial information, please contact Shell Malaysia Media Relations: Cindy Lopez at tel: 603 – 2091 3719, mobile: 012 –282 1765, email: cindy.lopez@shell.com or Stephanie Khoo at tel: 603 – 2091 2115, email: stephanie.khoo@shell.com