BP Resets Strategy, Scaling Back Renewables to Focus on Oil and Gas
The energy giant announces a major shift, cutting renewable investments and increasing fossil fuel production amid shareholder pressure.
- BP will increase oil and gas investments to $10 billion annually, reversing its prior commitment to significantly reduce fossil fuel production by 2030.
- Renewable energy spending will be slashed by 70%, with projects like biofuels and offshore wind scaled back or sold off, including its U.S. wind business and portions of its solar unit, Lightsource.
- The shift comes as BP faces mounting shareholder pressure, including from activist investor Elliott Management, which has acquired a 5% stake and is pushing for asset sales and a strategic overhaul.
- CEO Murray Auchincloss justified the pivot by citing slower-than-expected progress in the energy transition and stronger-than-anticipated global demand for oil and gas.
- Critics, including environmental groups and sustainable investors, argue the move undermines climate goals and raises concerns about BP’s long-term viability in a decarbonizing world.