Aberdeen defends BP climate partnership

Oil and gas company BP will act as an adviser to help the Scottish City of Aberdeen achieve its net-zero target for carbon emissions and become climate-positive.

Some have called the initiative “greenwashing” but the council and BP both deny this.

Under the four-year agreement, and at no cost to the local authority, BP will serve as a planning and technical consultant on the delivery of Aberdeen’s recently approved Energy Transition Strategic Infrastructure Plan (SIP). They will collaborate on areas such as hydrogen for transport, heat and power; energy-efficiency in the built environment; mobility electrification; and a shift towards a circular economy to achieve decarbonisation and deliver social and economic benefits.

William Lin, EVP of Regions, Cities and Solutions, BP, said: “Our task is to connect the dots between experts – both within the Council and across BP – to create the very best and most sustainable decarbonisation solutions for the city.”

Aberdeen is the second city in the world, after Houston, to establish such an agreement with BP and the organisation plans to partner with around fifteen cities over the next ten years.

“Greenwash”

Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, criticised the Aberdeen collaboration, saying: “BP [has] been responsible for a significant fraction of the climate change the world has suffered, partnering with BP to reduce emissions is like asking a car salesman to help you design public transport.

“The Council’s intentions might be laudable but there are many more neutral partners Aberdeen could have chosen. This just looks like falling for BP’s greenwash.”

Scottish Greens environment spokesman Mark Ruskell MSP also said the initiative “seems to be nothing more than a greenwashing exercise for the oil giant”.

“It’s concerning that a corporation that has made such a massive contribution to causing the climate emergency should be put in charge of tackling it,” he commented.  “There are concerns that a new dash for hydrogen is just a ploy to extend the life of North Sea gas when we need to see a genuine renewables-led economic recovery.”

New direction

However, Jenny Laing, Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor, told Cities Today that BP has technical and R&D expertise in areas which will help the city find energy solutions to realise its low-emissions objectives.

She said: “Our relationship with BP, as a city, is well established – over 50 years.  Yes, of course, it was built on offshore oil and gas production, but we are seeing that these companies are all looking to diversify into renewables activity, and that is a key priority for our economy.”

She continued: “In order to retain and attract global investment, we need to work with energy companies like BP and capitalise on the assets we do have here in Aberdeen – we are an energy city.  Companies are obviously looking at reducing emissions and that expertise and work needs to happen here. Our investment as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal in the Oil & Gas Technology Centre indicates the commitment we have to support the oil and gas sector’s energy transition. These are leading energy companies and the framework we have signed with BP is a positive step for us as a council as we all, industry and government, embark on a journey to reduce emissions.”

Peter Mather, BP’s SVP for Europe and the UK, commented: “I don’t think [the council] would be silly enough to be victims of greenwashing. We’re not greenwashing anything. We have been very, very clear where we’re taking the company. You don’t completely change your orientation and rejig your organisation, your strategy, your spending, for greenwashing. You do that because you believe deeply that this is the right thing to do.”

A BP spokesperson told Cities Today that the company will make further strategy announcements next week on its “new purpose”. In February, BP pledged to become net-zero by 2050 or sooner and last month said it was pivoting “from being an international oil company focused on producing resources to an integrated energy company focused on delivering solutions for customers”.

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