Criticism over BP bid to help Aberdeen City Council cut emissions

An environmental group has criticised Aberdeen City Council's decision to seek advice on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from a fossil fuel company.

The authority said it had formed a partnership with BP to help it reach its decarbonisation targets and become a "climate positive city."

But Friends of the Earth Scotland said that while the council's intentions might be laudable it was falling for BP's "greenwash".

BP denied claims of "greenwashing".

The oil giant says it wants to assist 10-15 cities globally in reaching net zero - where emissions from homes, transport, farming and industry are avoided completely or offset by, for example, planting trees.

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Jenny Laing, city council co-leader, told BBC Scotland: "Aberdeen's economy has been built around oil and gas over the last 50 years and we understand that if we're to meet the net-zero target that we have, we have to work with the oil and gas companies in order to decarbonise.

"BP have clearly shown that they want to be part of that. They've stepped forward, they've indicated they want to work with cities and I believe that public/private sector partnership working can actually help to achieve the targets."

Under the agreement, which the council says is cost-neutral, expertise will be offered from BP in areas such as low-carbon energy systems, transport and heating.

It will also focus on fossil fuel alternatives, such as hydrogen, which is already being used in Aberdeen to fuel some buses.

'Falling for BP's greenwash'

However, some environmentalists have raised an eyebrow at BP's involvement.

Dr Richard Dixon, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "BP have been responsible for a significant fraction of the climate change the world has suffered and 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."

WWF Scotland has given a qualified backing to the link-up but said the oil supermajor needed to be serious.

Head of policy, Fabrice Leveque, said: "Given the role BP has played in driving global climate chaos over the years, it's only right that it now takes action to help places like Aberdeen transition rapidly to a future that is no longer reliant on fossil fuels.

"However, just like BP's own recent commitments to cut oil and gas production, the proof will be what gets delivered on the ground through this partnership."

The council said BP would serve as planning and technical adviser in delivery of the local authority's Energy Transition Strategic Infrastructure Plan.

'The right thing to do'

BP has already agreed a similar partnership with Houston, Texas, which also has an economy built on oil and gas.

It has also indicated its intention as a company to shift away from oil and gas in the future.

Peter Mather, head of BP in the UK, said: "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."