BP defends hydrocarbon role in transition strategy
Emissions reductions targets should not be proxy for underinvestment in hydrocarbons, CEO tells analysts
BP has defended the role of hydrocarbons in the development of its business and said its transition strategy should not be characterised as a switch from oil to renewables. “This is not actually the case. We are building a renewables business to be part of an integrated value chain—this is not an oil-to-renewables story,” CEO Bernard Looney said on a third-quarter results call with analysts. Looney also stressed his belief that BP is better placed to finance investment in renewables as a single integrated company, with hydrocarbon assets generating cash. “When I look at some (pure-play) renewables companies, I see some of them struggling to fund their growth—that is not a problem we have,” h
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty






