Oil major BP braces itself for shareholder revolt after scaling back its climate targets
BP, which was one of the first energy giants to announce an ambition to cut emissions to net zero “by 2050 or sooner,” has urged shareholders to oppose the resolution put forward by Follow This.
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BP is bracing itself for a shareholder revolt at its annual general meeting on Thursday — some of the U.K.’s biggest pension funds are planning to ratchet up the pressure on the oil major after it rolled back its emission reduction targets in the wake of record profits.
Dutch group Follow This, a small activist investor and campaign group with stakes in several Big Oil companies, has tabled a resolution at BP’s shareholder meeting.
It calls on the energy giant to align its climate targets with the landmark Paris climate accord and commit to absolute carbon emissions cuts by 2030. Those emissions cuts, Follow This says, should include emissions generated by customers’ use of their oil and gas, known as Scope 3 emissions.
The National Employment Savings Trust, the U.K.’s largest pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme, Border to Coast and Britain’s Local Authority Pension Fund Forum have all indicated they will support the resolution.
Meanwhile, a separate shareholder rebellion could see some pension funds vote against the reappointment of chairman Helge Lund in response to the firm’s move to scale back its green pledges without shareholder consent.
A spokesperson for BP did not respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Follow This says it expects BP’s annual general meeting to be a “contentious” one, warning investors will be “rightfully concerned” about BP dialing back its climate strategy amid an ever-worsening climate crisis.
“We trust that investors who hoped that voting was not necessary in 2022, now realise that voting is crucial to compel BP to align with Paris,” Mark van Baal, founder of Follow This, said ahead of BP’s annual general meeting.
“Paris-aligned voting has to regain momentum in 2023.”
BP, which was one of the first energy giants to announce an ambition to cut emissions to net zero “by 2050 or sooner,” has urged shareholders to oppose the resolution put forward by Follow This, saying it encroaches on the board’s responsibility and accountability for the firm’s strategy.
It also described the resolution as “unclear,” “simplistic” and “disruptive.”
Proxy advisors ISS and Glass Lewis have recommended that shareholders of BP vote against the resolution tabled by Follow This. So, too, has Norway’s $1.4 trillion sovereign wealth fund, Reuters reported last week.
‘Very deep frustration’
Scientists have repeatedly warned that time is rapidly running out to stave off the worst of what the climate emergency has in store.
To be sure, the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal, is the chief driver of the climate crisis.
For investors, a warming planet is seen as a growing investment risk to their portfolios, and many shareholders are calling for improved disclosure from companies on what these risks are and how they are planning to mitigate them.
Lindsey Stewart, director of investment stewardship research at Morningstar, said that pension funds potentially voting against the reappointment of BP Chairman Helge Lund were “a good example” that investors intend to hold specific directors accountable for companies’ net-zero strategies this year.
“In investment stewardship, voting against a company chair is one of the strongest escalations a shareholder can implement. So, there’s clearly very deep frustration on the part of the pension funds who intend to vote against Helge Lund’s re-election as chair,” Stewart said.
BP had previously pledged emissions would be 35% to 40% lower by the end of the decade. It said on Feb. 7, however, that it was now targeting a 20% to 30% cut, saying it needed to keep investing in oil and gas to meet demand.
Morningstar’s Stewart said many BP shareholders were dissatisfied with the firm’s decision to adopt less ambitious net-zero goals without giving shareholders the opportunity to vote.
Bumper profits
Energy giants came under immense pressure from shareholders and activists to invest in clean energy as oil demand cratered during the peak of 2020 lockdowns.
But when the West’s five largest oil companies raked in combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022 as fossil fuel prices surged after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the push toward green reform lost momentum.
After ultimately failing with several climate resolutions in 2022, Follow This’ van Baal told CNBC earlier this year that it was clear from discussions with oil majors that they were once again determined to fend off activist and shareholder pressure and continue with their core oil and gas businesses.
![Watch Kia's new EV4 hatch carve up the Nurburgring, nearly on two wheels [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Kia-EV4-Nurburgring.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Kia’s upcoming entry-level EV has finally made its way to the famous Nurburgring for testing. The EV4 hatch was spotted ripping across the track, nearly on two wheels at one point, as Kia preps for its big debut.
According to Kia, the EV4 is “an entirely new type of EV sedan. ” It was first unveiled last October during Kia’s first annual EV Day, alongside the EV3 and EV5 as part of its new low-cost lineup.
The EV5 launched in China last year, while the EV3 is already rolling out in Korea and Europe. Next up, we will finally see the production version of the EV4.
Although its four-door format suggests it’s a sedan, Kia said the EV4’s bold design is a symbol of the company’s innovation. Its low nose, long-tail silhouette, and added roof spoiler give it an almost racecar-like feel.
With its official debut approaching, Kia’s EV4 has been spotted out in the wild several times. Last week, it was caught testing in the US for the first time.
A hatchback model has also been spotted. It was first caught on European roads this summer and in the US earlier this month.
Kia EV4 hatch takes on the Nurburgring as debut looms
After the EV4 was spotted racing across the Nurburgring for the first time, we are getting our best look yet at the upcoming Kia model.
The video from CarSpyMedia shows the EV4 hatch carving up sections of the track. Several times, you can see the EV4 is being pushed to the limits, nearly going up on two wheels.
However, with a low center of gravity and likely added stabilization tech, the EV4 appears to handle it with ease. You can also see the difference between the sedan model and the hatchback, with the bulky backside.
As it takes on the track, it almost looks like the 576 hp EV6 GT, Kia’s fastest and most powerful car. At least for now.
Kia is expected to officially reveal the EV4 by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. Prices are expected to be in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. The hatchback model is likely aimed at Europe, but it could also find a market in the US as buyers drift toward more efficient options.
Ahead of the LA Auto Show later this week, Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being an EV. Will it be the EV4? EV3?
Source: CarSpyMedia
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Elon Musk is hinting at Tesla making bigger electric cars, but you shouldn’t hold your breath as it’s not the first time he said that.
In the last few hours, Musk responded to two fans on X, asking Tesla to build bigger vehicles to support larger families.
Musk often promotes the idea of having bigger families as he is afraid of declining populations due to low birth rates in some countries.
With the first one, the CEO responded with a simple “OK,” and with the other, he elaborated a bit more by referencing the recently unveiled Tesla Robovan and “some other things”:
Musk appears to be hinting at Tesla’s work on a bigger electric vehicle that has yet to be unveiled.
While interesting, it’s hard to give too much weight to the comment, considering Musk claimed that Tesla has been working on a higher passenger capacity vehicle for years.
A “high passenger-density urban transport” vehicle has been in Tesla’s official product roadmap since 2016 and has yet to be unveiled, unless you count the Robovan unveiled last month, but that’s completely attached to Tesla’s self-driving effort as the vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals.
As part of Tesla’s shift toward autonomous driving, the automaker has pulled back plans for several new electric vehicle programs in favor of those without any driver inputs, like Cybercab and Robotvan.
Musk has also discussed the possibility of Tesla making an electric van on several occasions in the last few years.
Tesla is expected to soon unveil two new vehicles to be launch next year, but those are based on the Model 3 and Model Y and therefore, they aren’t likely to be bigger vehicles.
Electrek’s Take
Like most things Elon says lately, it goes in my “I’ll believe it when I see it” folder.
That said, I think an electric van that can be configured for cargo, camper, or passenger, would make a ton of sense in Tesla’s vehicle lineup.
Of course, it’s harder to get the greenlight for a vehicle program like that if your CEO is perpetually convinced that the company is on the verge of achieving self-driving and making steering wheels obsolete.
I’m more of the opinion that Tesla should have played it more careful and continue working on growing its human-driveable EV lineup while working on self-driving.
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Penske Truck Leasing is rolling out rooftop solar on its US truck leasing, rental, and maintenance buildings, starting in Illinois.
Penske Truck Leasing, which offers an electric truck fleet leasing program, wants to cut emissions and save energy, so it’s activated its first rooftop solar system at its new facility in Channahon, Illinois (pictured). The 200 kW system is expected to generate about 80% of the building’s energy needs, and the rest will be supplied by the local utility.
The next Penske Truck Leasing rooftop solar system to come online will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, “in the coming months,” followed by another in Linden, New Jersey, in 2025. All three of these new buildings are part of Penske’s LEED building program, which is designed to reduce energy use and promote sustainability.
Seven of Penske’s existing facilities in California will also get solar retrofits. These locations, which include Fresno, Hayward, La Mirada, National City, Riverside, San Diego, and San Leandro, are expected to generate about 600 kW of renewable energy in total.
Penske has teamed up with Sunrock Distributed Generation under a power purchase agreement to make the California upgrades happen. The company is also working with ForeFront Power, based in San Francisco, as its lead consultant for the solar rollout.
On average, these solar-powered Penske facilities will generate around 1 million kWh of renewable energy each year, preventing about 442 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. That’s equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power nearly 90 homes for a year.
Drew Cullen, senior vice president of fuels and facility services at Penske, highlighted the significance of this move, noting:
Our solar program is an important piece of our renewable energy strategy, and ForeFront Power continues to be an outstanding partner in helping us bring these projects to fruition.
These investments will allow us to directly generate our own renewable energy to power our locations and continue to support our customers with sustainable solutions.
Penske Truck Leasing, part of Penske Transportation Solutions, is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, and operates over 437,000 vehicles across North America, with nearly 1,000 maintenance facilities and more than 2,500 rental locations. Its investment in solar power is a key part of its broader sustainability strategy to cut emissions and reduce reliance on traditional energy sources.
Read more: Penske and Hitachi just launched a big electric truck charging pilot
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