A NEW VISION FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY: GREENPEACE AND BP ADDRESS CLIMATECHANGE FROM THE CONFERENCE PLATFORM

A NEW VISION FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY: GREENPEACE AND BP ADDRESS CLIMATECHANGE FROM THE CONFERENCE PLATFORM 7 October 1997 Speaking at the second annual Greenpeace Business Conference in London today, Deputy Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, Chris Rose, has told the oil industry that conflict can be avoided if companies convert from being fossil fuels providers to energy companies supplying renewable power. Describing a new vision for the industry, Chris Rose said it was time for it to "stop waging war on the climate: a time for turning swords into ploughshares. Renewable technology is viable: Let's have a climate dividend and dismantle the fossil fuel system." He added that UK Government action, like that being taken in Japan, was necessary to encourage the oil industry to invest in switching factories to supply solar power. Describing thinking in the Department of Trade and Industry as "neo-neanderthal", Rose said that the Government is even more to blame for the industry's rush for new oil reserves than the industry itself, "While environment ministers have been off at the Climate negotiations warning about the malign influence of the fossil fuel lobby, the UK Department of Trade and Industry has been 'fast tracking' a brand new oil field in the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic Frontier. Why are we doing this if there is already enough oil? Well because it makes money. And because if they don't someone else will. Tony Blair told us this, as if it is an act of God. But it is not - it is an act of policy." Speaking from the same platform as John Browne, Chief Executive of BP, Chris Rose went on to say that climate change can only be tackled by globally inclusive action and that, while Government action is needed, the oil industry has a responsibility not to impede that process but to encourage it. He identified John Browne, Heinz Rothermund of Shell and Austrian company OMV as examples of the most progressive thinking in the oil industry. The Conference follows a year of conflict between Greenpeace and the oil industry, a conflict which is still being fought in the High Court and which has included BP temporarily freezing the environmental organisation's assets. Chris Rose said that Greenpeace was not, however, locked into a permanent battle with the oil industry, "We don't need to be. Forces far beyond anything that we can hope to trigger will create change and fossil fuel producers will evolve or die. We can't make this happen though we can try to speed it up. All we can really do is to show what needs to happen, and what is going to happen." The Greenpeace Business Conference attracts delegates from many of the UK's largest companies. In addition to providing a forum for discussion about environmental concerns and how business should be responding to them, it presents companies which have taken action without detriment to their profits. This year Paul Monaghan from the Co-operative Bank will speak about the Bank's move to phasing out PVC from credit cards and Guy Walker of Unilever about the importance of understanding risk and taking account of public perceptions. Organiser of the event, John Sauven from Greenpeace said, "This kind of dialogue with business is important. Solutions to environmental problems exist. It's our job to demonstrate that action can be taken. Today we have been joined by some companies who also believe action can be taken to protect the environment. We hope more will join us." FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press Office on 0171-865 8255/6/7/8 Notes to Correspondents
1) Transcript of Chris Rose's speech available on request.