2021年经济学人 壳牌不满被勒令减少碳排放

The world this week

一周国际要闻

Business

商业版块

At least two directors nominated by Engine No. 1, a small, environmentally minded hedge fund, were elected by shareholders¹ to the board of ExxonMobil. It is the most significant victory yet in the push by activist² investors³ to force big oil companies to do more on climate change.

由具有环保意识的小型对冲基金引擎一号（Engine No. 1）提名的至少两位董事被埃克森美孚(ExxonMobil)的股东选举为董事会成员。这是维权投资者迫使大型石油公司在气候变化问题上采取更多行动的最重大胜利。

Environmental legacy⁴

环境遗产

In a ruling with ramifications⁵ for the whole oil industry, a Dutch court sided with green campaigners and found that Shell was in part responsible for climate change, ordering it to cut its carbon emissions⁶ by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. Shell currently aims to lower emissions by 20% in 2030 and 45% in 2035 from 2016 levels. It is to appeal against the verdict.

在一项对整个石油行业都会产生影响的裁决中，荷兰一家法院站在了环保人士一边，裁定壳牌公司对气候变化负有部分责任，并下令壳牌公司在2030年之前将其碳排放量从2019年的基础上削减45%。壳牌目前的目标是在2016年的基础上，到2030年实现减排20%，在2035年减排45%。壳牌将对这一裁决提出上诉。

Activist investors have increased their clout⁷ during this year’s shareholders’ meetings in a wide range of industries. This week Aston Martin faced down a mini revolt, when 18% of shareholders opposed its pay policy for directors and 17% went against the re-election of Lawrence Stroll as chairman. Mr Stroll is credited with rescuing the struggling sports-car maker⁸ with an injection of capital in 2020.

在今年各大行业的股东大会上，维权投资者的影响力均有所增加。本周阿斯顿·马丁公司遭遇了一场小规模的抗议，18%的股东反对公司董事的薪酬政策，17%的股东反对劳伦斯·斯多尔连任董事长。斯多尔因在2020年通过注资拯救了这家陷入困境的跑车制造商而备受赞誉。

Germany’s two biggest property companies, Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen, agreed to merge⁹, creating Europe’s largest residential¹⁰ real-estate group. The deal is controversial. Rents have soared in Berlin, producing a political backlash. The firms gave assurances that they would limit rent increases to 1% a year in Berlin for the next three years and provide flats for young families at below market rents.

德国两家最大的房地产公司voonovia和Deutsche Wohnen同意合并，造成出欧洲最大的住宅房地产集团。这笔交易存在争议。柏林的房租飙升，引发了政治反弹。这些公司保证，他们将在未来三年内将柏林的租金涨幅控制在每年1%，并以低于市场租金的价格为年轻家庭提供公寓。

Singapore’s first-quarter gdp figure was revised, revealing a much faster expansion than had been thought. The economy grew by 3.1% compared with the previous three months; manufacturing output was up by 10.8%.

新加坡第一季度国内生产总值（GDP）数据经过修正，显示其增长速度比预期快得多。与前三个月相比，经济增长了3.1%;制造业产值增长10.8%。

Joe Biden confirmed that he would not impose sanctions on the corporation that built the Nord Stream 2 pipeline¹¹, which will transport gas from Russia to Germany. Critics contend the project’s main purpose is to increase European reliance on Russian energy, but Mr Biden said that sanctions would be counter-productive, given that the pipeline is almost complete. The decision is a win for the German government, and a blow to Ukraine, which will lose income from transit¹² fees for Russian gas.

乔·拜登证实，他不会对建造北溪2号管道的公司实施制裁，该管道将把天然气从俄罗斯输送至德国。批评人士认为，该项目的主要目的是增加欧洲对俄罗斯能源的依赖，但拜登表示，鉴于这条管道几乎已经完工，一味制裁将适得其反。这一决定是德国政府的胜利，也是对乌克兰的打击，因为乌克兰将损失掉俄罗斯天然气中转而赚取的收入。

1 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

7 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

8 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

9 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

10 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

11 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

12 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。