Honorary degree for ex-BP Gulf of Mexico boss is a sick joke

Commenting on the award of an honorary degree to former BP boss Tony Hayward, Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“Robert Gordon University have made a very serious error of judgement with this award which sends exactly the wrong message to current and future students. Tony Hayward presided over the world’s largest oil spill but continually played down its significance and trivialised the deaths of 11 people.

“BP only survives because governments stepped in to bail it out and the clean up bill is heading for tens of billions. In the Gulf of Mexico Tony Hayward showed the world exactly how not to handle a massive environmental disaster, giving him an honorary degree for his contribution to business is a sick joke.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. 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, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent. www.foe-scotland.org.uk