Aberdeen and oil giant BP sign deal to cut emissions

Oil firm BP has signed a deal with council leaders in Aberdeen in a bid to cut emissions.

Aberdeen is only the second city in the world after Houston in the US to join forces with the energy company in such an arrangement.

BP will serve as a planning and technical adviser in the council’s energy infrastructure plan.

Environmental campaigners, however, have expressed concern that a climate deal had been struck with a fossil fuel firm.

Mel Evans, senior climate campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said the deal must go “beyond the way that the city of Aberdeen uses energy”.

BP and Aberdeen City Council said they would explore opportunities for using hydrogen power for transport and heating.

Work will also take place to increase the fuel efficiency of the council’s fleets of vehicles.

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Jenny Laing said the local authority was “delighted” to be working with BP on “the next phase of Aberdeen’s drive to support local, national and international climate change targets”.

She said: “The council and BP have the same goals in reducing our carbon footprint and working with BP provides a major opportunity for Aberdeen to progress our plans.

“Our operations include areas such as transport, district heating, buildings and waste, while BP is a world leader in energy and has a significant innovation and research and development base for us to draw on and learn from.”