In 1968 students worldwide protested against capitalism, the elite, racism, and the Vietnam war. In this context, five students initiated the first St. Gallen Symposium to start cross-generational dialogue.What are the topics the two generations are discussing the most right now?

Ben van Beurden: No doubts, climate change. Of course, I am very exposed to it because of the industry that I am in. But, even if I try to stand back and be objective, I do think climate change and therefore the energy transition probably is one of the most discussed topics. The other is general equality in society – whether it’s gender equality, racial equality, or freedom of ideas.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: Fifty years ago, it was this message of justice and peace that we saw. Today this justice approach is incorporated into the way we approach sustainability, as well as how we make sure that we are getting all perspectives, and not just those of traditional stakeholders. Although some of these values of sustainability and cross-generational dialogue are seen as innovative, they have been shared by Indigenous people since time immemorial.

Ben van Beurden: Practically, it means discussing things with my four children, who are all in different age brackets. We also have a significant number of young people in our company who want to understand not only what the direction of the company is, but also if we can change it and what their role in this is. Intergenerational dialogue is not an abstract concept for me. It is present every day.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: Cross-generational dialogue means shifting the narrative to an inclusive, intersectional and holistic approach. It means valuing lived experience and intergenerational knowledge just as much as we value the opinions of industry leaders and academics. We need to make sure that this cross-generational dialogue is inclusive and amplifies the voices of the most overburdened and underserved people. We must prioritize their voices, since these decisions have a direct impact on their livelihoods. If we are going to address this crisis, we need to make sure we address not just climate change, but biodiversity loss and environmental inequities.

Ben van Beurden: I would be tempted to say yes – much more so looking at it through the eyes of the younger generation. I do detect that there is limited patience, but also limited trust from the younger generation. That is only natural because they still have the challenges ahead of them.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: Climate change is here already. Young people are already experiencing its effects: Forests are burning, ocean levels are rising. That is why we feel this urgency to act compared to previous generations. Climate change has been emerging as a priority and has been recognized as a crisis in global discussions, but youth haven’t necessarily seen that urgency reflected in actions. That’s why the relationship between older and younger generations must prioritize accountability and collaboration. Youth needs to be represented on boards and other leadership roles in the decision-making process.

Ben van Beurden: Dialogue would help but also more participation across the generations. The pandemic hasn’t helped in many ways. Before, it was more common for me to meet up with a small group of young people and talk about what they think about the strategy of the company. And more often I have heard about good ideas and didn’t just explain what I was thinking. Today, we can and should do more of these meetings again.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: The biggest impact we can make is giving overburdened and underserved communities which are facing the direct effects of climate change a voice. When we give them – not just the younger people but across generations – a platform to share their experiences and how they have been dealing with this, we can begin to foster really inclusive intergenerational dialogue.

Ben van Beurden: It needs to be done by both. For a long time, people would simply argue that if you change supply, things will change. But if we were to stop selling petrol today, I don’t think people would say: Now that I can’t fill up my car at Shell, I will buy an electric car. Ultimately, we have to work at least as much on the demand side regulation. And there we have a role to play. We have to work with customers and governments to find out how we can support the demand for greener products.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: Both. The industry has the responsibility to be innovators and leaders. They should not wait for governments or courts. But this is coupled with an opportunity to empower individuals to understand the power they hold as consumers in a capitalist society. We can vote democratically, but we can also vote with our dollars. Individuals can create incredible change once they realise their ability to influence demand.

Ben van Beurden: You say oil company, but I like to think of ourselves as an energy transition company. Our mission is to provide more and cleaner energy solutions. If you think of yourself like that, then it is logical that you try to accelerate the transition. I did say – to the horror of some of my industry compatriots – that we should ban internal combustion engines. Only then are we going to change the emissions associated with mobility. We have to have governmental interventions to do it, and those need to be supported by companies like ours.

Laura Hernandez Merlano: The industry leaders of these companies need to be the most responsible and accountable in this space. It isn’t just possible to be committed to environmental protection, it is a requirement. If you call yourself an industry leader, you need to act like one. We need to be able to shift so that the globe can recover and heal, or otherwise there will be no future for us or these companies.

Lisa Oder