CLIMATE change activists have interrupted the annual general meeting of BP in Aberdeen by shouting "this is a crime scene" in a protest over ending new oil and gas exploration.
A number of Extinction Rebellion Scotland and Climate Action Scotland protesters interrupted proceedings at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, some carrying yellow mock police cordon tape, were led away by security staff.
It comes after activists said they planned to confront BP executives to ask "to close these destructive projects" and phase out their fossil fuel operations.
It came as Greenpeace protesters used cranes to transport the heavy boxes into place at St James's Square in London on Monday and said it aimed to keep the headquarters closed "for at least the whole of the week" of the annual general meeting.
The protest group infiltrated the meeting just BP chief executive Bob Dudley got up to speak.
A handful of protesters began shouting slogans which also included: "250,000 people die a year due to the climate crisis.
"BP is responsible for 1.5% of all global emissions. Decisions made in this room are directly responsible for deaths around the world."
The group were told, "okay you can stop now", before shouting "this is a crime scene" as they were led out.
After being ejected, the group questioned BP's commitment to ending the climate crisis.
They said: "This is a crime scene.
"BP has lobbied against climate action, obstructing necessary legislation in the pursuit of profit.
"Hundreds of thousands of people due every year from climate impacts.
"And people in this room paid for that to worsen."
Since BP’s 2018 carbon emissions rose to their highest in six years, the London-based energy firm has been lobbied by activists and an increasing number of shareholders to ensure its operations are in line with goals set by the 2015 Paris climate deal to curb global warming.
It comes after it emerged last month that BP had approved the latest in a series of North Sea developments while seeing profits fall eight per cent in the first quarter amid oil price volatility.
BP has approved a number of key projects including the development of the Seagull field in the North Sea.
#ClimateActionScotland and @ScotlandXr @ExtinctionR declare the @BP_plc AGM a #crimescene. @BP_plc are one of the world's biggest climate criminals and they are currently on the greenwash train. We're not letting them away with it. #MakeEcocideLaw pic.twitter.com/RtaKBoZAzB
— Extinction Rebellion Scotland (@ScotlandXr) May 21, 2019
Last year BP approved plans to develop the Vorlich find east of Aberdeen and the Alligin field West of Shetland.
BP plans to double its North Sea production to 200,000 barrels of oil per day by 2020, and add 900,000 of globally by 2021.
But the company has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 million tonnes since the start of 2016, putting it on its way to hit a target of 3.5m tonnes by 2025.
Before protesters began their protest, BP chairman Helge Lund said: “The energy transition must happen and is already underway.
“People around the world need more energy to improve their lives but carbon emissions have to come down at a much faster pace than we are seeing now.
“BP is a big company which carries great responsibility.
“We can play an important role. We want BP to advance the energy transition while remaining a good investment case.”
BP backed a resolution put to investors 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 Paris goals.
The motion, whose proposers included a group of 58 investors holding 10 percent of its shares, known as Climate Action 100+, have passed at BP’s annual meeting in Aberdeen with 99% shareholders support.
Our chairman Helge Lund & CEO Bob Dudley have been addressing shareholders at our AGM in Aberdeen. Read their speeches by following the links below.
— BP (@BP_plc) May 21, 2019
➡️Helge Lund: https://t.co/U84HuCn3ls
➡️Bob Dudley: https://t.co/ha3daLtWVj pic.twitter.com/FVuScTX5aV
A separate resolution drawn up by activist group Follow This that would require BP to reduce emissions not just from its own activities but also from the fuel and products it sells to customers, is understood to have been opposed by the company and was rejected by 92% of shareholders.
A spokesman said: “BP’s shareholders have shown their support for the approach we are taking to advance the energy transition and help address the climate challenge, a clear validation of our strategy.
"We are pleased that investors have overwhelmingly approved the CA100+ resolution we supported – while also rejecting one from Follow This that would have restricted our flexibility to manage the uncertainties of the energy transition. To be successful in this critical area, we must continue our engagement with shareholders and other stakeholders and we are committed to doing so.”
Jeanne Martin, senior campaigns officer at ShareAction, the charity that promotes responsible investment said BP directors should be "seriously worried by the results".
"The CA100+ resolution indicates strong investor disapproval of BP’s current strategy which is far from Paris-consistent. As for the Follow This resolution, while 8% support may not sound like a lot, a lower level of support was enough to force Shell to u-turn on target-setting.
"There's clearly appetite for BP to set emissions reduction targets for its clients’ products, with some of BP’s largest investors already announcing that they would call for this if BP failed to deliver a Paris-consistent strategy in a year’s time. Any savvy BP investor would have these results front and centre of engagements.”
Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Scotland had said they were to hold a People’s Assembly in Aberdeen city centre. A separate protest was planned for a BP petrol station in Fort William as the energy firm executives met.
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