Above photo: Andrea Domeniconi/Fossil Free London.
Members of Fossil Free London, Energy Embargo for Palestine and the Free West Papua Campaign gathered outside BP’s London HQ in St James’s Square last night ahead of BP’s AGM, taking place today.
BP: Stop Fuelling Genocide
Campaigners held a banner reading ‘stop fuelling genocide and climate breakdown’, and chanting ‘Shut down BP’:
Since the wake of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, BP has come under fire for its supply of energy supplies to Israel. In September 2024, Energy Embargo for Palestine identified in a research report that 30% of Israel’s total energy supplies passes through the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which has gone on to fuel military operations in Gaza.
Last month it was additionally revealed that the gas licences awarded to a consortium of oil companies, including BP, off the coast of the Gaza strip have now been renewed. Following ICJ’s ruling on Israel; human rights experts have warned that countries and corporations supplying oil to Israeli armed forces may be complicit in war crimes and genocide.
The last financial year has also seen BP roll back on its climate pledge and investments, the intended resignation of their energy transition-conscious Chair, Helge Lunde, and an increase in their oil investments:
In February, BP announced they are increasing its investment in oil and gas to $10bn a year while cutting more than $5bn from its low-carbon investment plans. BP’s CEO Murray Auchincloss said the company has gone “too far, too fast” towards the energy transition, despite the Grantham Research Institute finding BP’s former transition plans didn’t constitute a “credible plan”.
This announcement comes in just as the UK is predicted to see the hottest April since records began.
Destroying The Planet, Killing People
Lila from Energy Embargo for Palestine said:
As BP abandons its renewable energy commitments and doubles down on oil and gas production, we know that this is not a departure from its usual operations. From the gas flares in Iraq to the ecocide in Palestine, BP’s operations is premised on the destruction of both people and planet.
Robin Wells, director of Fossil Free London, said of the company:
Its corporate greed kills millions through the fuelling of a genocide and through the climate breakdown that continues at pace.
The writing is on the wall. BP doubling down on oil and gas is just part of the standard functioning of Big Oil. This will never change. It’s clearer than ever that is no place for oily, greed-driven corporations in the world we need to build. Shut BP down.