Abstract

The case “British Petroleum’s Lofty De-Carbonization Plans and its U-Turn” is about the de-carbonization initiatives of British Petroleum (BP). In 2023, Bernard Looney (Looney), CEO of BP, announced that the company planned to slow down the commitments it had made in 2020 on de-carbonizing its business. Even though its increased focus on fossil fuels led to BP posting profits, the company had to contend with allegations of greenwashing. The case discusses the carbon transition initiative taken by BP and its impact. The allegations of climate and environmental activists are put forward in the case. The case ends with the dilemma Looney faces in justifying the company’s decision to slow down its carbon transition initiatives while trying to restore the public’s faith in BP.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of greenwashing and its consequences
• Understand the concept of carbon transition and its implementation
• Examine the need for de-carbonization initiatives by corporates

Keywords

British Petroleum; Greenwashing; Decarbonization; Bernard Looney; Carbon Transition; Sustainable Business; Fossil Fuel Companies; Carbont Transition Strategies; Carbon Emission; Net Zero Emissions