Bernardus Cornelis Adriana Margriet "Ben" van Beurden (born 23 April 1958) is a Dutch businessman who was the CEO of Shell plc from 2014 to 2022.

[2] In early‑2022, ClientEarth began civil proceedings against van Beurden and 12 other directors of UK‑based Shell plc in an attempt to hold these individuals personally responsible for failing to adequately prepare the company for a transition to carbon neutrality.

More specifically ClientEarth asserts that these individuals have a fiduciary duty under the UK Companies Act to operate in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

[9] Van Beurden repeatedly called to environmental issues for governments and corporations to tackle global energy consumption beyond supply chains.

At the same time, Shell's profits were rising sharply, the company raised its dividend by almost 40%, and kickstarted share buybacks worth $2 billion.

[6] In November 2022, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded van Beurden the Order of Dostyk II degree for his contribution to the oil and gas industry.