Charlotte Church sang outside the office of Shell on Wednesday to protest against the company's efforts to drill in the Arctic.
The 29-year-old Welsh singer sang alongside a string quartet near the oil giant’s London headquarters as part of a Greenpeace's month-long demonstration against Arctic drilling.
Speaking to reporters, Church said that her rendition of Dinah Washington's This Bitter Earth was aimed at Shell staff in the hope that it would make them question the company's actions.
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She said: “I just think it affects us all on the entire planet and for my children, for the generations to come I just think that what is happening at the moment is so exploitative and it is so... nonsensical that I just wanted to be a part of it and get involved and hopefully use my voice to help raise the profile.”
Earlier this month, Shell obtained the permits it needs to start drilling for oil in the melting Arctic Ocean.
Greenpeace said that the drilling is risking an oil spill in icy waters that would be impossible to clean up and disastrous for the people and unique wildlife that live there.
Pressure is mounting on Shell over its drilling plans. This summer, other public figures, such as Peter Capaldi, John Hurt and Maisie Williams spoke out against Arctic drilling.
Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and the Archbishop of Canterbury have also expressed concerns about Arctic oil drilling.
A Shell spokesman defended the drilling plans, criticising Greenpeace's “growing publicity stunts”.
Shell said: “Shell respects the right of people to protest against the activities we undertake to ensure the world’s energy needs are met.
“However, it is disappointing that Greenpeace continually chooses to focus on mounting publicity stunts rather than engage constructively in the debate about how to meet the world’s growing demand for energy while reducing CO2 emissions.
“We believe we can play an important role in developing the Arctic’s energy resources. We choose to explore there because we have the expertise and experience to operate responsibly and be profitable at the same time.”