Wikimedia Commons

BP’s funding of Houston’s efforts to slash its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 is raising concerns among climate advocates.

Late last month, the Houston City Council voted to accept $2 million from BP to help fund its emissions reductions goals — including paying for two employees in the city’s sustainability office — an amount equivalent to nearly 40% of the city’s annual budget. In a city where 94% of passenger trips are made by car, BP’s financial involvement raises questions over the effectiveness of the city’s decarbonization efforts, Vice reports.

In 2018, BP’s oil and gas production was linked to over 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and it remains a member of the American Petroleum Institute, which lobbies against climate legislation. Stephanie Thomas, a Houston-based researcher and organizer with the advocacy group Public Citizen told Vice that “The fact that Houston has a Climate Action Plan is a big deal.” However, given BP’s involvement, she said, “I think a lot of folks have some concerns about it.”