Notice of Meeting
Dear fellow shareholder,
I am pleased to invite you to the 2022 AGM of BP p.l.c. (bp or the company) to be held at 1pm (British Summer Time) on Thursday, 12 May 2022.
Welcoming you to the meeting
This year, we are offering shareholders a choice of either joining our AGM online or, if they choose to do so, in person. Due to the impact of Covid-19 over the past two years, we have been unable to hold in-person AGMs. But our experience in modernizing the traditional format for these events has been very positive and shareholders have been able to take part in these meetings remotely, to ask questions and to vote during the meeting. Importantly, we have found that virtual participation at these events enables access to a wider spectrum of our owners than is possible through an exclusively in-person event. Because of these benefits that our shareholders have been able to experience, this year, we have made further improvements to our digital AGM platform. We hope that shareholders will take up the opportunity to join the meeting in this way and look forward to seeing even more of you online.
The business of the meeting
The various resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are set out in this notice together with explanations in each case. The board believes that resolutions 1 to 23 are in the best interests of the company and its shareholders and are unanimous in recommending that you vote in favour of each of them, as we intend to do as fellow shareholders. Among the ordinary business items for the AGM, you will see two particular resolutions that I would like to briefly comment on:
- “Net Zero – from ambition to action” report – this year, the board is submitting a non-binding advisory vote to shareholders on bp’s net zero ambition. This resolution appears in the notice as resolution 3 and seeks to secure support for our ambition and the pathway which has been set for its delivery.
This resolution is supported by the board which considers it to be in the best interests of its shareholders. - Requisitioned resolution – as was the case last year, a group of shareholders coordinated by Follow This has proposed a resolution which appears in this notice as resolution 24, together with a supporting statement on page 27.
The board does not support this resolution as it does not consider it to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders as a whole.
A statement from the board in response to resolution 24, encouraging shareholders to vote against it – as was the case in 2019 and again in 2021 – is set out on page 28 of the Notice of Meeting with a recommendation from the directors that shareholders vote against resolution 24.
Voting and asking questions
However you decide to join the AGM this year, we value your vote and we encourage you to take this opportunity to provide us with your views on the actions bp is taking in the delivery of our strategy.
You can vote in a number of ways. Those attending online will be able to cast their ballot via the digital AGM platform. For those of you attending in person, you will be able to use an electronic voting handset. If you would like to vote in advance of the meeting, please do so – you can submit a proxy vote. For those of you who are participants in a bp employee share plan, please refer to the notice of meeting and our internal messaging on how to vote.
Guidance on how to appoint a proxy and information on corporate representatives and voting can be found on pages 24-25 of the Notice of Meeting.
The board will be available at the AGM to answer questions from shareholders, with some joining us via live video link. You are welcome to submit questions in advance of the meeting, by telephone or via the digital platform during the meeting itself.
Voting results
The voting results will be announced through a regulatory information service and will be published on our website at bp.com/agm as soon as possible following the AGM.
On behalf of your board, I would like to thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming you to our AGM.
Helge Lund
Chair
18 March 2022