{"id":59097,"date":"2025-06-19T21:55:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T21:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"\/ajb1zih\/shell-vs-greenpeace-a-sea-change-in-negotiation-techniques\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T21:55:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T21:55:45","slug":"shell-vs-greenpeace-a-sea-change-in-negotiation-techniques","status":"publish","type":"product-content","link":"https:\/\/www.mindtools.com\/ajb1zih\/shell-vs-greenpeace-a-sea-change-in-negotiation-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"Shell vs. Greenpeace: A Sea Change in Negotiation Techniques"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 1995, oil giant Shell reached a deal with the UK government to decommission Brent Spar \u2013 a waste storage facility. After three years of talks, both parties agreed sinking the rig in the North Sea was the safest and cheapest option. But Shell was about to discover the decision involved more than two sides.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Platform to Shout From<\/h2>\n\n<p>In April 1995, activists from environmental group Greenpeace boarded Brent Spar in a move to stop its deep-water disposal. The same day, the group released a press statement claiming that Shell\u2019s plan would: <\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Set a precedent for deep-water disposal of another 300 North Sea installations.  <\/li><li>Contravene the Precautionary Principle. This policy protected the North Sea and its marine life from acid rain, global warming and pollution.   <\/li><li>Release more than 5,000 tons of waste into the sea. [1] <\/li><\/ul><p>In the wake of Greenpeace\u2019s actions, news outlets sent camera crews to its support boat and held live satellite interviews with activists on the rig. [2] The group even posted updates on the just-emerging internet. [3] While the world watched Greenpeace argue its case, <strong>Shell reacted with poorly presented and overly defensive statements<\/strong>. And with little TV coverage or a corporate website to challenge claims, no one was listening. To achieve its goal, Greenpeace took a lead in negotiations through careful planning and media shrewdness. Shell had no contingency plan in place to refute Greenpeace\u2019s claims \u2013 and the situation soon got worse. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Clear Message<\/h2>\n\n<p>Greenpeace gave three reasons for stopping Brent Spar\u2019s deep-water disposal. But it was the group\u2019s last point (that 5,000 tons of waste would spill into the sea) that dominated headlines. The problem with point two \u2013 the Precautionary Principle \u2013 was its difficulty to understand. In a study of independent Shell and Greenpeace scientists, even they struggled to agree what constitutes harm to the environment. [4] The press did little to explain the policy to the public. \u20185,000 tons\u2019 was a better headline; journalists didn\u2019t investigate the claim and Greenpeace ran with the coverage. Investigators later found the true amount to be 100 tons, after Greenpeace scientists botched their tests. [5] But Shell only discovered this years later, knowledge which may have de-stabilized Greenpeace\u2019s argument. [6] One reason Shell may have failed to counter point one (the precedent claim) was its truth. Shell lobbyists and the UK government were closing in on deals for further deep-sea disposals before the Brent Spar protest broke. [7] Later shown to be inaccurate, the \u20185,000 tons\u2019 claim still shows <strong>the power of a single, clear message when negotiating<\/strong>. Especially when using the media to help influence public opinion.<\/p><div class=\"ew-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Shell petrol station sign.\" data-name=\"migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB2.jpg\" data-size=\"87431\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/nova-live.imgix.net\/\/migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB2.jpg?q=60&amp;fm=webp&amp;w=700&amp;h=394\" width=\"700\"\/><div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moral High Ground<\/h2>\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t only the public who sympathized with Greenpeace. When Shell hit activists with water cannons and rammed their inflatable boats, TV cameras caught it all. This<strong> aggressive response<\/strong> attracted support from European governments and opposition parties in Britain. [8] When the UK\u2019s Institute of Public Relations criticized Shell for its aggression, the oil giant dismissed its comments and started to tow the rig after forcibly removing protestors. Throughout the Brent Spar incident, Shell showed insensitivity to public opinion. [9] Instead, Shell and the UK government turned to the law to back up their actions. As Dr Doug Parr, former chief scientist and policy director for Greenpeace UK, says, \u201cLegal is not necessarily legitimate in the eyes of the population at large \u2013 there has to be justification as well as regulatory compliance.\u201d [10] <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fuelling the Flames<\/h2>\n\n<p>Sensationalized news coverage of the Brent Spar incident led to German consumers boycotting Shell service stations in the summer of 1995. Five were firebombed, while another station was hit by a drive-by shooting. Not only did sales plummet by 20%, but vendors demanded compensation from Shell. [11] More European governments joined consumers in condemnation of events \u2013 and Shell\u2019s handling of the situation. In June, the oil firm cracked. Facing millions in lost sales and <strong>untold public, political and media damage<\/strong>, it released a statement that \u201cstrong objections\u201d voiced by \u201cother governments\u201d had placed it in an \u201cuntenable position\u201d. [12] Shell did a u-turn and conceded to Greenpeace\u2019s demands to find an alternative to deep-water disposal.<\/p><div class=\"ew-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A group of people with their hands up in the air.\" data-name=\"migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB3.jpg\" data-size=\"81335\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/nova-live.imgix.net\/\/migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB3.jpg?q=60&amp;fm=webp&amp;w=700&amp;h=394\" width=\"700\"\/><div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Science of Negotiation<\/h2>\n\n<p>The scientific community blasted Shell\u2019s u-turn as irrational and bowing to public pressure. [13] Despite the evidence supporting deep-sea disposal, <strong>71% of the UK public at the time thought Shell was wrong<\/strong>. [14] In a 1999 study, 350 university science students were given all the facts (and falsehoods) of the Brent Spar case. But the majority still sided with Greenpeace. The study concluded that Shell\u2019s problem \u201clay not in the public misperception of the \u2018objective\u2019 issues, but in the perception of how the decisions were made\u201d. [15] It was a decision that didn\u2019t involve the public, who scientists deemed irrational, and Shell perceived as irrelevant, with the law on its side. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sifting for Truth<\/h2>\n\n<p>After news broke of the true amount of waste left in the rig, the media turned on Greenpeace. The brave activists were now portrayed as bumbling terrorists. Greenpeace claimed it was the victim of a \u201cpersistent media myth\u2026 that [it] had got it wrong over the entire Brent Spar issue\u201d. [16] The Brent Spar incident also brought to light how Shell \u2013 and other corporations \u2013 lobby governments to pass favorable laws. [17] <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brent Spar Timeline<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>February 1995<\/strong> \u2013 At the Oslo Convention, the UK government informs EU leaders of the Brent Spar disposal plan. No governments object.   <\/li><li><strong>April 1995<\/strong> \u2013 Greenpeace activists board the rig.   <\/li><li><strong>Same day<\/strong> \u2013 Greenpeace releases a report with alternatives to deep-sea disposal. [18]   <\/li><li><strong>May 1995<\/strong> \u2013 German chancellor Helmut Kohl urges the UK government to stop the Brent Spar plan. [19]   <\/li><li><strong>June 1995<\/strong> \u2013 Consumers boycott Shell stations and sales drop 20% in Germany alone. [20]   <\/li><li><strong>June 1995<\/strong> \u2013 Shell announces it\u2019s dropping the deep-sea disposal plan to seek an alternative.   <\/li><li><strong>August 1995<\/strong> \u2013 At the Edinburgh International Television Festival, media executives acknowledge their unbalanced reporting of the incident. [21]   <\/li><li><strong>September 1995<\/strong> \u2013 Greenpeace apologizes to Shell for publicizing a mistaken estimate of the amount of waste on board Brent Spar, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re owning up to a minor mistake.&#8221; [22]   <\/li><li><strong>January 1998<\/strong> \u2013 After discussions between EU leaders, Shell announces a new plan to re-purpose Brent Spar materials to form the base of a new ferry quay at Mekjarvik, Norway. <\/li><\/ul><div class=\"ew-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An oil rig on land. \" data-name=\"migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB4.jpg\" data-size=\"87951\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/nova-live.imgix.net\/\/migration-ShellvsGreenpeaceASeaChangeinNegotiationTechniquesIMGB4.jpg?q=60&amp;fm=webp&amp;w=700&amp;h=394\" width=\"700\"\/><div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Negotiation Oil<\/h2>\n\n<p>After Greenpeace took Shell by surprise over Brent Spar, the oil industry now has robust corporate-relation strategies in place to cover issues such as disasters, environmental campaigns and political lobbying. Greenpeace\u2019s victory over Shell reveals these negotiation essentials: <\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Know the decision-makers<\/strong>. Shell assumed it only had the UK government to deal with. Greenpeace realized they could reach the public, who, in turn, could sway their governments.   <\/li><li><strong>Respect people\u2019s values<\/strong>. Shell turned to the law and science to advocate its actions. For the public, environmental concerns, and being heard, were more important than laws passed by government. As former Shell director and founder of Amnesty International UK Sir Geoffrey Chandler says, \u201cProtest alone is not enough. You\u2019ve got to engage, understand companies and argue with them about why the values of society are relevant to their business.\u201d   <\/li><li><strong>Find a platform<\/strong>. From the start, Greenpeace was more effective than Shell at getting its message across by using media such as the (then) new world wide web.   <\/li><li><strong>Be clear (and true)<\/strong>. The \u20185,000 tons\u2019 message had shock value and resonated because of its simplicity. But the media turned on Greenpeace with the revelation that the figure was wildly inaccurate. The press is accountable to public opinion too.   <\/li><li><strong>Involve the public (where relevant)<\/strong>. A report reveals scientists were reluctant to involve the public in the Brent Spar decision because they were \u201cirrational\u201d. [23] It argues that the scientific community must get better at communicating with the public. After the incident, Shell set up the Brent Spar Dialog, which brought together environmental groups, the media, politicians and academics to find a new disposal solution for the rig. [24] <\/li><\/ul><p>The ripples of Brent Spar still spread. As Andrew Vickers, Shell\u2019s vice-president for policy and external relations, says, \u201cThe decision not to sink Brent Spar was \u2018a tipping point\u2019 for Shell, NGOs and the media. For Shell, it was about more than Brent Spar. Overplaying the legal card, underestimating the power of modern media tools and not seeing the deeper agenda are challenges that we work hard to address.\u201d [25] <\/p><div class=\"ew-reference\"><span class=\"ew-reference-title\">References<\/span><div class=\"ew-reference-body\"><div>[1] Mark Huxman and David Sumner, \u2018Emotion, Science and Rationality: The Case of the &#8220;Brent Spar&#8221;&#8216; (1999). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023). <\/div><div>[2] \u2018Greenpeace campaigns against dumping the Brent Spar oil rig, 1995\u2019. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995\" href=\"https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[3] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[4] Mark Huxman and David Sumner, \u2018Emotion, Science and Rationality: The Case of the &#8220;Brent Spar&#8221;&#8216; (1999). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[6] Ibid. p352. <\/div><div>[7] Ibid. p357. <\/div><div>[8] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[9] Aminath Meena Ahmed, \u2018Brent Spar: An Applied Exploration Of Crisis Management\u2019 (2014). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"http:\/\/etheses.lse.ac.uk\/1834\/1\/U205390.pdf\" href=\"http:\/\/etheses.lse.ac.uk\/1834\/1\/U205390.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/etheses.lse.ac.uk\/1834\/1\/U205390.pdf<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[10] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a>  (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[11] Ibid. <\/div><div>[12] Ibid. <\/div><div>[13] Mark Huxman and David Sumner, \u2018Emotion, Science and Rationality: The Case of the &#8220;Brent Spar&#8221;&#8216; (1999) p352. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[14] Ibid. <\/div><div>[15] Ibid. p361. <\/div><div>[16] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[17] Mark Huxman and David Sumner, \u2018Emotion, Science and Rationality: The Case of the &#8220;Brent Spar&#8221;&#8216; (1999) p359. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[18] \u2018Greenpeace campaigns against dumping the Brent Spar oil rig, 1995\u2019. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995\" href=\"https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu\/content\/greenpeace-campaigns-against-dumping-brent-spar-oil-rig-1995<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[19] Larry Elliot, \u2018Turning point\u2019 (2001). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2001\/nov\/05\/17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2001\/nov\/05\/17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2001\/nov\/05\/17<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[20] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a>  (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[21] Ibid. <\/div><div>[22] Nicholas Schoon, \u2018Greenpeace&#8217;s Brent Spar apology\u2019 (1995). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/greenpeace-s-brent-spar-apology-1599647.html\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/greenpeace-s-brent-spar-apology-1599647.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/greenpeaces-brent-spar-apology-1599647.html<\/a>  (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[23] Mark Huxman and David Sumner, \u2018Emotion, Science and Rationality: The Case of the &#8220;Brent Spar&#8221;&#8216; (1999) p363. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/30301715?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents<\/a>  (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><div>[24] Shell, \u2018Brent Spar Dossier\u2019. Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.shell.co.uk\/sustainability\/decommissioning\/brent-spar-dossier.html\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shell.co.uk\/sustainability\/decommissioning\/brent-spar-dossier.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.shell.co.uk\/sustainability\/decommissioning\/brent-spar-dossier.html<\/a> (accessed Aug 2, 2023).<\/div><div>[25] EC Newsdesk, \u2018Brent Spar: Battle that launched modern activism\u2019 (2010). Available at: <a class=\"ew-link\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersevents.com\/sustainability\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ethicalcorp.com\/business-strategy\/brent-spar-battle-launched-modern-activism<\/a> (accessed July 31, 2023).<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read about the Brent Spar incident and how Greenpeace won a war of negotiation over Shell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"product-content-category":[7056],"product-content-type":[2580],"reading-time":[5177],"class_list":["post-59097","product-content","type-product-content","status-publish","hentry","product-content-category-negotiation","product-content-type-article","reading-time-7-minutes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - 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