CLIMATE activists protested outside BP’s London headquarters on Wednesday evening ahead of the oil giant’s AGM.

Chants of “shut down BP” rang outside the premises where members of Fossil Free London, Energy Embargo for Palestine and the Free West Papua Campaign gathered with a banner declaring: “Stop fuelling genocide and climate breakdown.”

An Energy Embargo for Palestine investigation published last September found that 30 per cent of Israel’s total energy supply passes through the BP-operated Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which has gone on to fuel military operations in Gaza.

Last month, Israel granted BP new gas exploration licences.

Meanwhile the oil giant has U-turned on its climate pledges, announcing in February that it will slash more than $5 billion (£3.7 bn) from its low-carbon investment plans.

At the same time, officials said that investment in oil and gas would be ramped up by 20 per cent to $10bn (£7.5bn) a year.

Lila from Energy Embargo for Palestine said: “As BP abandons its renewable energy commitments and doubles down on oil and gas production, we know that this is not a departure from its usual operations.

“From the gas flares in Iraq to the ecocide in Palestine, BP’s operations are premised on the destruction of both people and planet.” 

Director of Fossil Free London Robin Wells said: “BP’s corporate greed kills millions through the fuelling of a genocide and through the climate breakdown that continues at pace.

“The writing is on the wall. BP doubling down on oil and gas is just part of the standard functioning of Big Oil.

“This will never change. It’s clearer than ever that there is no place for oily, greed-driven corporations in the world we need to build. Shut BP down.”