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Our approach to sustainability

Our approach to sustainability is targeted, systematic and collaborative. It rests on strong, well-established foundations. We are working to embed sustainability more widely and deeply in our culture, business decisions, processes and governance
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Policies and practices

Our policies and practices set out expectations for how we manage environmental and social performance during our activities. They already include environmental and social requirements, which form the foundation for many of our sustainability aims.

Supplier expectations

We want to work with suppliers who strive for sustainability in their supply chains. We try to develop and strengthen relationships with suppliers who are committed to and act in accordance with our code of conduct.

Governance and business processes

The board is responsible for setting the strategy and for monitoring bp’s management and operations as they work to execute strategic delivery against our targets and aims.


The board-level safety and sustainability committee oversees effective implementation of the sustainability frame and management of health, safety and environmental risks.


Oversight of sustainability matters is embedded through our executive-level group sustainability committee, chaired by our EVP, strategy, sustainability & ventures. The committee’s remit is to provide oversight, challenge and support in the implementation of bp’s sustainability frame and management of potentially significant non-operational sustainability (including climate-related) risks and opportunities.

Ethics and compliance

To maintain and build trust in bp, our employees commit to work to a consistent set of high standards, set out in our code of conduct.


Our code sets the standards and expectations for how we do the right thing and also empowers our people to speak up without fear of retaliation. It puts safety first, and together with our safety leadership principles and operating management system (OMS), helps us make safe and ethical decisions, act responsibly and comply with applicable laws.


We refreshed our code in January 2023, including updated content to incorporate our sustainability frame and ‘Who we are’.

 

Anti-bribery and corruption

We operate in parts of the world where bribery and corruption present a high risk, so it is important to inform our employees, contractors, suppliers, and others, that our commitment to ethical and compliant operations is unwavering.


Our code explicitly prohibits engaging in any form of bribery or corruption and includes an expectation that we work to ensure our business partners comply with our requirements.


Our group-wide anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering and anti-tax evasion policies and procedures all include measures and guidance to assess and mitigate risks, understand relevant laws and report concerns. We provide appropriate training for employees in locations or roles assessed to be at a higher risk of bribery and corruption.


Speaking up

Everyone who works for bp has a responsibility to speak up if they become aware of something that is unsafe, unlawful or inconsistent with our code of conduct. We encourage people to speak up because we want to learn why mistakes happen and respond supportively. We do not tolerate retaliation of any kind and consider it to be misconduct.


Concerns or enquiries can be raised through multiple speak up channels. These include line managers, senior leaders, contacts in our people & culture, ethics & compliance and legal teams, works councils, or our confidential global helpline, OpenTalk. This helpline is available 24/7 in more than 75 languages, by phone or internet, to employees, the wider workforce, communities, business partners and other stakeholders who want to raise a concern.

Our people

We have more than 67,600 employees around the world, and they are crucial to delivering our purpose and strategy. We focus on providing the support and skills they need to thrive and help bp succeed.

 

‎We aim to provide our people with the skills they need for their current roles and for the energy transition and we are working to build skills forecasts and implement capability plans across bp, including those for our transition growth engines such as hydrogen, offshore wind, digital and our electric vehicle charging business, bp pulse.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Our focus on DE&I can help us become the first-choice integrated energy company for the world’s best and brightest talent – a bp that reflects our customers and sources products and services from an increasingly diverse supplier base.


We are making progress on our global framework for action and all bp entities have now set DE&I actions plans, based on the three pillars of our global framework: transparency, accountability and talent.

Incentivization and performance management

We are advocating for policies that support net zero, incentivizing our workforce, assessing our alignment with trade associations and helping corporates achieve their decarbonization goals. We are also taking steps to increase the transparency of our disclosures.


Our annual bonus for all eligible employees, including the bp leadership team, has been linked to a sustainability measure since 2019 and the bonus scorecard against which our employees are measured incentivizes them through three themes: safety and sustainability, operational performance and financial performance. Our group leaders’ incentive plan is directly linked to progress on our net zero operations aim (aim 1).

Engagement and collaboration

Regular and constructive engagement with our stakeholders is crucial to the delivery our ambition, sustainability frame and aims. We engage with our many different stakeholders, in many different ways –from local meetings to global partnerships.


We work with stakeholders – including investors and shareholders, customers, partners and suppliers, local communities, governments and regulators – to address complex sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity and a just transition.


Our engagement also includes partnerships with cities and corporations to help them decarbonize.

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