BP ‘greenwash’ with Aberdeen Council while looking for more oil
Environmental campaigners have criticised the news that Aberdeen City Council is seeking advice on reducing climate emissions from fossil fuel producer BP. Last week BP were awarded three licences to look for more climate-wrecking oil and gas in UK waters, critically undermining their claims about transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland said,
“BP have been responsible for a significant fraction of the climate change the world has suffered, partnering with BP to reduce emissions is like asking a car salesman to help you design public transport.
“BP’s previous flirtations with pretending to be serious about climate change have all turned out to be PR spin and this looks no different, with plans to use fossil fuels to make hydrogen for transport already obsolete in the face of the rise of electric vehicles and the threat of even more incineration wasting resources that should be recycled.
“The Council’s intentions might be laudable but there are many more neutral partners Aberdeen could have chosen, this just looks like falling for BP’s greenwash.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Criticism over BP bid to help Aberdeen City Council cut emissions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54062239 - Offer of Awards for the UK’s 32nd Offshore Licensing Round – permits for companies to go out and look for more oil and gas in UK waters.
https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/licensing-consents/licensing-rounds/ - BP are listed in the 20 fossil fuel companies whose exploitation of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves can be directly linked to more than one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions - Press-quality images of Dr Dixon available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmv2f3Lg
- Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and 5,000 local activist groups.