Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Anchorage, AK -- At an event put on yesterday by the Alaska Resource Development Council, BP America Chairman and President Susan Dio expressed support for the Trump administration’s plan to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling.
The wildlife-rich coastal plain is the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge and is central to the survival and way of life of the Gwich’in Nation, and the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose drilling there.
Last month, a group of institutional investors representing $2.52 trillion in assets sent a letter to oil and gas companies, including BP, citing the financial, climate, and reputational risks of drilling in the Arctic Refuge and urging them not to pursue operations there.
In response, Alli Harvey, Alaska representative for the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, released the following statement:
“Apparently BP missed the memo from the public and some of the world’s most influential investors that drilling in the Arctic Refuge is a bad bet. At a time when there is a global appetite for climate action and widespread opposition to destroying pristine wilderness and trampling on human rights in pursuit of more fossil fuels, it’s clear that any company that tries to drill in the Refuge will take a major hit to their reputation and their bottom line. BP should listen to the Gwich’in, the public, and the investor community and stay out of the Arctic Refuge.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.