BP renewables cuts will have devastating impact on people and planet
Fossil fuel giant BP’s reported decision to slash renewables investment and double down on fossil fuels shows that the industry cannot be trusted to self-regulate and that governments need to act now for our planet, say the Scottish Greens.
The party’s Co-Leader Lorna Slater has slammed the oil giant, calling for a stronger windfall tax without the perverse incentives that encourage domestic drilling.
Ms Slater said:
“After years of greenwashing and spin, it seems that BP has stopped even pretending to care about our climate.
“This is a conscious act of climate vandalism and environmental negligence that can only have a devastating impact on people and planet.
“Companies like BP have spent years raking in obscene profits at the expense of the world around us while making false promises that they would use it to diversify away from fossil fuels. Some of us will remember their cynical Beyond Petroleum campaign.
“The reality is that the climate emergency is only getting worse, and some of the worst polluters are doing even less to stop it.
“Time and again the oil and gas industry has shown that it simply cannot be trusted to make the transition to green energy without robust regulations in place to force them to do so."
Ms Slater added:
“Our best defence against global oil and gas prices is to make the investment that is needed in clean, green renewable energy so that we can have proper energy security while lowering bills.
“It is time for Labour to live up to its rhetoric on renewable energy and make the kind of bold investment programme that is needed to realise our renewables potential.
“It must finally close the loopholes in the windfall tax and ensure that these climate wreckers are paying their fair share so that we can fund the transition to a greener future.”