Sustainability report ‎–‎ 2020 highlights

A summary of our progress and performance in 2020

Sustainability report 2020 pdf / 11.5 MB

"Profits or purpose need not be a choice - and instead can work together in service of all stakeholders."

Bernard Looney

Group chief executive

...and put sustainability at the heart of bp

"Our new frame and aims will guide our work, focus our activities and propel us forward"

Giulia Chierchia

EVP, strategy and sustainability

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Our new sustainability frame

Our sustainability frame, which underpins our strategy, puts our purpose into action. It takes an integrated approach while focusing on the areas where we believe we can make the most difference.

Find out more

Our focus areas

Getting to net zero

We’ve set five aims to get bp to net zero by 2050 or sooner and five aims to help the world get there too.

Find out more

Our net zero targets and aims at a glance
Aims	2020 performance	2025 target	2030 Aims	2050 or sooner Aims
Net zero operations	16%^a	20%	30-35%	100%
Net zero oil and gas	9%^a,b	20%	35-40%	100%
Halving intensity	0.6%^a,b	5%	>15%	50%
Reducing methane	0.12%^c	0.20% (based on our new measurement approach^d)	timeline to achieve 50% to follow
More $ for new energies	$750m^e	$3-4bn	~$5bn

a: Reductions against the 2019 baseline.

b: The baseline year for our aims 1, 2 and 3 is 2019. Following publication of the bp annual report 20-F 2019, some data improvements related to the reported 2019 figures for aims 2 and 3 were identified. Although these are not considered to be material, for each of aims 2 and 3 the 2019 figure has been adjusted.

c: 2020 methane intensity is calculated using existing methodology and, whilst it reflects progress in reducing methane emissions, will not directly correlate with progress towards delivering the 2025 target under aim 4.

d: We aim to have this in place by the end of 2023.

e: Aim 5 non-oil and gas activities included a partial acquisition payment for the US offshore wind partnership with Equinor, our investments in electrification and advanced mobility, and investment into activities through bp ventures and Launchpad.

Improving people's lives

Our five people aims cover clean energy, a just energy transition and sustainable livelihoods, respect for human rights, greater equity and enhanced wellbeing.

Find out more

Caring for our planet

Our sustainability frame includes a focus on making a positive difference to the environment in which we operate. The scope of our care for our planet aims covers biodiversity, water management, nature-based solutions including those that reduce or remove carbon emissions, circularity and sustainable purchasing

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Our aims

We’ve set aims linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals for each of our three focus areas: 10 for net zero, 5 for people and 5 for planet.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a global framework for countries, businesses and other stakeholders to address society’s most important challenges, working together in accordance with their different roles.

In developing the people and planet aspects of our sustainability frame, we started with the sustainable development goals to inform our thinking.

Although our business activity touches the majority of the SDGs, we’re focusing our efforts on those that align with our aims in order to make the most impactful contribution to sustainable development and to people over the next 10 years.

Our aims

UN SDGs

2020 highlights

Our combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, covered by aim 1, decreased by 16% from 54.4 MteCO2e in 2019 to 45.5 MteCO2e in 2020.

Improved safety performance, with fewer tier 1 and tier 2 process safety events and a reduction in recordable injury frequency, compared to 2019.

Continued to grow in solar through Lightsource bp.

Announced our strategic partnership with Microsoft to further digital transformation in energy systems.

Published an updated business and human rights policy.

Announced a new position on biodiversity – which includes the aim for new projects in scope to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity.

Launched a new aim to become water positive by 2035 – by replenishing more freshwater than we consume in our operations.

Responding to Covid-19

The human, economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to have a profound impact on countries and individuals. They’ve also affected bp in many different ways. Throughout 2020 we took action in response and are still doing so.

For example:

We supplied more than 10 million litres of free fuel to emergency service vehicles across the UK.
In India, we provided emergency food supplies and survival kits to stranded truck drivers, migrant workers and to other affected communities close to our operations.
In Mauritania, we provided clean, tanked water to a community after they were left without access to clean water when the government closed borders to Senegal as part of COVID-19 protective measures.

Find out more

$2.0m

to WHO's COVID-19 solidarity response fund

Go deeper

Data and how we report ‎

Reporting centre and archive

A summary of our progress and performance in 2020

"Profits or purpose need not be a choice - and instead can work together in service of all stakeholders."

Bernard Looney

Group chief executive

"Our new frame and aims will guide our work, focus our activities and propel us forward"

Giulia Chierchia

EVP, strategy and sustainability

Our new sustainability frame

Our sustainability frame, which underpins our strategy, puts our purpose into action. It takes an integrated approach while focusing on the areas where we believe we can make the most difference.

Our focus areas

We’ve set five aims to get bp to net zero by 2050 or sooner and five aims to help the world get there too.

a: Reductions against the 2019 baseline.

c: 2020 methane intensity is calculated using existing methodology and, whilst it reflects progress in reducing methane emissions, will not directly correlate with progress towards delivering the 2025 target under aim 4.

d: We aim to have this in place by the end of 2023.

e: Aim 5 non-oil and gas activities included a partial acquisition payment for the US offshore wind partnership with Equinor, our investments in electrification and advanced mobility, and investment into activities through bp ventures and Launchpad.

Our five people aims cover clean energy, a just energy transition and sustainable livelihoods, respect for human rights, greater equity and enhanced wellbeing.

Our aims

We’ve set aims linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals for each of our three focus areas: 10 for net zero, 5 for people and 5 for planet.

2020 highlights

Responding to Covid-19

Go deeper

Data and how we report ‎

Reporting centre and archive

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Our purpose is reimagining energy for people and our planet

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Sustainability report ‎–‎ 2020 highlights

A summary of our progress and performance in 2020

"Profits or purpose need not be a choice - and instead can work together in service of all stakeholders."

Bernard Looney

Group chief executive

"Our new frame and aims will guide our work, focus our activities and propel us forward"

Giulia Chierchia

EVP, strategy and sustainability

Our new sustainability frame

Our sustainability frame, which underpins our strategy, puts our purpose into action. It takes an integrated approach while focusing on the areas where we believe we can make the most difference.

Our focus areas

We’ve set five aims to get bp to net zero by 2050 or sooner and five aims to help the world get there too.

a: Reductions against the 2019 baseline.

c: 2020 methane intensity is calculated using existing methodology and, whilst it reflects progress in reducing methane emissions, will not directly correlate with progress towards delivering the 2025 target under aim 4.

d: We aim to have this in place by the end of 2023.

e: Aim 5 non-oil and gas activities included a partial acquisition payment for the US offshore wind partnership with Equinor, our investments in electrification and advanced mobility, and investment into activities through bp ventures and Launchpad.

Our five people aims cover clean energy, a just energy transition and sustainable livelihoods, respect for human rights, greater equity and enhanced wellbeing.

Our aims

We’ve set aims linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals for each of our three focus areas: 10 for net zero, 5 for people and 5 for planet.

2020 highlights

Responding to Covid-19

Go deeper

Data and how we report ‎

Reporting centre and archive

Sign up to receive sustainability news direct to your inbox

Enter your email address to register news alerts

Related content

Our purpose is reimagining energy for people and our planet

Net zero by 2050

Health, safety and environment charting tool