Britain’s largest shareholder advisory groups have called on investors in Royal Dutch Shell to reject growing demands for the oil giant to take full responsibility for its impact on the environment.

Shell faces a binding shareholder vote tomorrow to decide whether to adopt rigorous accountability standards to bring its operations into line with the Paris climate agreement. Glass Lewis and ISS have urged shareholders to reject the “unduly burdensome” and “problematic” proposal.

Environmental activists want wider greenhouse gas emissions standards that factor in emissions from Shell’s customers as they use the company’s petrol, fuels and chemicals. Glass Lewis said: “We do not believe that the company should be directed by shareholders to establish goals for activities outside of its own organisation that it has no ability to direct or control.”

The stand-off between the Shell board and green groups threatens to turn into a legal battle. Friends of the Earth has threatened to file a lawsuit in the Netherlands if Shell fails to commit to fall into line with the Paris accord at its AGM in The Hague this week.