In 1997, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group made a public commitment to contribute to sustainable development (SD) and has since undertaken extensive work to rum this into practical reality and integrate the concept into business activities. Shell E&P produced a framework to guide development of the business in line with the SD concept. The cornerstone of the approach is six sustainability principles, applicable from corporate to site level. Each Shell E&P operating company has used the principles to frame a strategy and assess its own course and contribution to SD, reflecting individual company operating environments, cultures, and stakeholder values. This paper provides a background to the approach developed and discusses progress to date. Examples from several Shell operating companies illustrate how SD considerations are being integrated into activities and how work is being taken forward. The focus is on ways that the E&P business can contribute toward sustainability goals. Movement by E&P companies into other energy sectors, such as renewables, is not considered.