Indictments delivered against BP and Shell executives

Draft indictment papers accusing top executives at British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell of public nuisance were delivered to the Crown Prosecution Service this afternoon. Attempts were also made to deliver the indictments to both companies’ central London headquarters.

The indictments were submitted in place of citizens' arrests, as the Citizen’s Arrest Network believes that all executive staff at both oil majors have been instructed to stay away from head offices. They believe this is in response to citizen’s arrests carried out on three top executives at oil and gas companies Harbour Energy, Enquest and Serica Energy earlier this week. Copies of the indictments against BP executives were also handed in to Holborn Police Station, while those concerning Shell’s leadership were delivered to Charing Cross Police Station.

Both Shell and BP are responsible for emitting significantly more CO2 than the average UK citizen, with BP accountable for 30 million times more and Shell for 50 million times more. Meanwhile, BP’s CEO receives over £8m in salary and bonuses, with Shell’s CEO receiving over £5m. The two companies have paid dividends of £17.7bn and £8bn respectively to shareholders. In 2024, BP also received £35m in government subsidies. The known effects of climate change, which both companies have long understood to be driven by fossil fuel extraction, cause public nuisance through pollution, flooding, extreme heat and food supply disruptions.

Danielle McHallam, who delivered indictment papers to Shell, said she was frustrated by the lack of accountability in society. She said she was tired of working people being punished with higher bills and fines while climate change impacts continue to drive up food costs. She added that Shell’s CEO, Wael Sawan, is making decisions that directly contribute to these problems, stating that climate change is a public nuisance and must be addressed at the source.

BP has also been criticised for significantly reducing its renewable energy commitments, cutting its annual investment from £4bn to £1.5bn while delaying its emissions reduction target from 2030 to 2050. At the same time, the company plans to increase investment in oil and gas by £8bn per year.

Rev Helen Burnett, who delivered the indictment papers to BP, said this campaign serves as a test for the judicial system. She expressed scepticism about whether the law is fit for purpose, arguing that it currently protects the wealthy while leaving the most vulnerable unprotected from climate change. She said those responsible for harming biodiversity and polluting the environment must be held accountable and warned that if the law cannot do so, then it is failing in its purpose.

The delivery of the indictment papers follows citizen’s arrests of Serica Energy Corporate Affairs Officer Stephen Lambert, Harbour Energy CEO Linda Z Cook, and Enquest Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Copus earlier this week. Last week, two executives at Thames Water, Chris Weston and Alastair Cochran, were also placed under citizen’s arrest under suspicion of committing multiple counts of public nuisance.