In a sensational new trend of businesses having consciences, Shell Oil has announced plans to swim against the ubiquitous tide of climate change. One could almost hear George Orwell chuckling in his grave as the company vowed to slit its own profit-throat to save the environment, bewildered spectators have pointed out. In an astoundingly hilarious twist, the oil giant has finally discovered its 'inner Greta Thunberg', pledging to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050, a decision backed by an astounding 88.74% of its shareholders. Apparently, they've realised that they won’t have a lot of oil customers if those customers are underwater or slowly getting grilled in unforgiving heatwaves. Seemingly ignoring the basic principles of capitalism, Shell has presented a path forward that keeps temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius, the key target of the Paris Climate Agreement. A spokes-mop for the company, which is the seventh-largest oil producer in the world, gushed, "We realize now is the time for us to do our part and help save the planet." Critics might question whether that eureka moment conveniently happened to coincide with the lawsuit by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, which won the case and ordered Shell to cut its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. A fascinating coincidence indeed! Meanwhile, the other fossil fuel giants have remained mum on their stance, hiding behind their piles of cash to see whether this is a passing fad or an actual start of an era where businesses start caring about the environment more than their bottom line. ExxonMobil, releasing a statement via a letters page in The Wall Street Journal using what appeared to be an extinct species of squid's ink, said, "We're just as dedicated to change as Shell but first need to find a way to extract 'climate change friendly oil'. Once we figure out the exact science behind that, trust us, we're on it." BP, on the other hand, has stocked up on 'thoughts and prayers' as their preferred method of taking action against climate change. In a press release, they announced, “By harnessing the power of thoughts and prayers, we aim to significantly reduce carbon emissions, while simultaneously hoping for a massive oil field discovery." As Shell presents a path to tackle climate change while several shareholders throw tantrums because profits aren't everything, the world watches with bated breath. Could this be the start of a guilt-powered business trend? Or, only the company flaunting its newfound 'eco-friendly' feathers to catch some positive PR? Only time, or another lawsuit or two, will tell.