BP America CEO David Lawler | Center for Climate Integrity

The document alleges that BP knew about the devastating consequences of fossil fuels as early as 1991 but engaged in a campaign of deception to protect profits. It highlights the contrast between BP's 'Beyond Petroleum' branding and its actual capital expenditures, noting that the company spent $12 billion on oil and gas in 2002 compared to $45 million in solar. The briefing also criticizes BP for pioneering the 'carbon footprint' concept to shift responsibility to consumers and for implementing a 'net zero' ambition that excludes an estimated 46% of the carbon it extracts, including joint ventures with Rosneft.

• BP was aware of the risks of fossil fuel use by 1991, predicting sea level rise and catastrophic floods, yet joined the Global Climate Coalition to oppose the Kyoto Protocol and other greenhouse gas regulations.
• BP's 'Beyond Petroleum' rebranding in 2000 was largely advertising; in 2002, the company spent $12 billion on oil and gas, which was 25 times more than its investment in wind and solar.
• BP's low carbon investments remained low, with only 2.3% of capital expenditures dedicated to such projects between 2010 and 2018, and the company spends more on lobbying against emissions policies ($50 million annually) than on climate branding ($30 million annually).
• The 2004 launch of the 'carbon footprint calculator' served to shift the burden of addressing climate change from corporate polluters to individual consumers.
• BP's 2020 ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 contains loopholes, such as the exclusion of joint ventures with Rosneft, meaning approximately 46% of the carbon BP extracts is not included in the goal.

APA

Center for Climate Integrity (2021). BP America CEO David Lawler | Center for Climate Integrity. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/bp-america-david-lawler

Chicago

Center for Climate Integrity. BP America CEO David Lawler | Center for Climate Integrity. 2021. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/bp-america-david-lawler.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Integrity |title=BP America CEO David Lawler | Center for Climate Integrity |date=6 October 2021 |url=https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/bp-america-david-lawler |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimateintegrity2021america, author = {{Center for Climate Integrity}}, title = {{BP America CEO David Lawler | Center for Climate Integrity}}, institution = {Center for Climate Integrity}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/bp-america-david-lawler}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }