Energy and mining groups are ignoring the “existential threat” that climate change poses to their industry and need to make big changes to the way they operate, the ex-head of BP has warned.
The intervention by Lord Browne, one of the energy world’s most influential voices, comes as coal, oil and gas groups face investor criticism that they are too complacent about the risk of tougher action to arrest climate change.
He told a seminar in London yesterday that the scientific evidence of global warming should be treated as settled but “this conclusion is not accepted by many in our industry, because they do not want to acknowledge an existential threat to their business”.