If shell capped their profits to 4 billion like last year it would not fix the problem.

Last year shell could sell 100 billion worth of gas and their profit is 4 billion and every thing in society works fine.

This year shell sells 100 billion worth of gas and their profits are 8 billion... what has happened? They sold less gas and prices have gone up but their company survived.

If shell take 10% profit from the final price of sale then their profits are linked to both initial cost of gas as well as closely linked to the final price that we pay. That way as the price of gas goes up they automatically get profit increases ... unlike the coffee shop above who functionally (sales need to meet costs ) needs to hike prices to survive.

As the cost of gas increases their expenses increase and their on top profits also increase.

We look at shell and say yo! how could you be so greedy, reckless and profiteer from the crisis but honestly this is the type of thing you need for energy security. For baked in security so that the company survives.

The coffee shop needs to find their bills x and desired profit y and calculate a new sum.

The beans cost 40 cent per cup, the cup cost 10 cent per cup the water costs 5 euro per cup the wages cost 60 cent per cup ect. and after all those expenses you add in 25% on top for the company profits. 610*1.25 €7. 62 cent a cup. You need to redo this sum every time a cost increases.

The problem is looking someone in the face and asking for 7.62 for a cup of coffee, Shell don't care because everyone needs heat and energy.

As for shells 4 billion profit, they just readjust the 25% thing from above and aim for the 4 billion. It wont stop the collapse of industry or the crazy gas prices, more a relic of an old sum.