Don’t blame BP for ditching green fuel – it’s following the government’s lead

The UK, a world leader in climate policy, is caught in a clash between what the planet needs and what politics and business feel they can deliver. So, the issue drifted by – but five years ago BP made another bold leap, setting targets to cut production of oil and gas by 40 per cent by 2030, while significantly ramping up investment in renewables. Ultimately, the way to make change is to starve the oil giants of demand, as the world shifts towards electric vehicles in the name of climate and energy security This is what makes the government’s latest pronouncements on air travel – and thereby its inadvertent promotion of fossil fuels – all the more depressing. A protester outside BP’s headquarters on the first day of the COP29 climate conference in November 2024 In its seventh assessment report, the Climate Change Committee, a supposedly independent group formed to advise the government, note that limiting airport space would help reduce demand. Because progress has been so slow, the CCC says SAF will still only provide 17 per cent of aircraft fuel demand by 2040 – that’s when emissions from other sectors of the economy are supposed to be going way down.