Greenpeace activists: ‘BP must clean up or clear out’
Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance to BP’s London HQ yesterday, demanding one of the world’s biggest energy companies ends all new oil and gas exploration or goes out of business.
The move comes as proposed legislation, here, aimed at banning all future oil and gas drilling in Irish waters moves through the Oireachtas.
Greenpeace activists encased themselves in specially designed containers to block all of the main entrances. A team of activists abseiled from the top of the building and placed huge letters over the windows reading ‘Climate Emergency’.
“BP is fuelling a climate emergency that threatens millions of lives and the future of the living world,” said Paul Morozzo, a Greenpeace activist.
“The science is clear, we must stop searching for new oil and gas if we want a liveable planet. BP must clean up or clear out.”
BP said impeding safe entry and exit from the building is dangerous and “clearly a matter for the police to resolve as swiftly as possible.
“We welcome discussion, debate, even peaceful protest on the important matter of how we must all work together to address the climate challenge,” it said.
BP is due to hold its annual shareholders’ meeting today in the Scottish oil city of Aberdeen. Greenpeace said it would keep the London HQ closed for at least a week.
“At their AGM, BP’s [CEO] Bob Dudley has a choice: he can end oil exploration and start switching to 100% renewables or wind down the company,” said Mr Morozzo.
BP has backed a resolution, being put to investors today, for it to be more transparent about its emissions, link executive pay to reducing emissions from BP’s operations, and show how future investments meet the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming.
