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Seòmar agus comataidhean

BP and Shell's Record-breaking Profits

  • Submitted by: Alex Rowley, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
  • Motion reference: S6M-07861

That the Parliament expresses deep concern at reports of record annual profits from the energy giant, BP, which has more than doubled its profits to £23 billion for 2022; expresses further concern that these record profits come as BP has reportedly decided to scale back its plans to reduce the amount of oil and gas it produces by 2030; believes that this is counter-productive to both the UK and Scottish governments' climate and emissions targets; notes that BP’s record profits come as the oil and gas giant, Shell, has reported record-breaking annual profits of £32.2 billion for 2022; understands that these are the highest profits in Shell's 115-year history, and double the previous year’s record; condemns what it considers as both obvious and blatant profiteering by energy giants, whilst ordinary people are already struggling to juggle their expenses amidst one of the greatest cost of living crises to be faced in the UK; is critical of energy firms that, it believes, could be seen to be exploiting the war in Ukraine as a means of making what it sees as obscene profits; calls on the UK Government to stop what it sees as letting energy companies off the hook, and to introduce further and proportionate taxes on what it considers the outrageous increases in profits made by these companies, in order to help mitigate the effects of rising energy costs on households; believes that the planned increase in the energy price cap, due in April 2023, should be scrapped and is astounded that the UK Government would go ahead with this increase following the news of these record-breaking profits for energy firms; condemns the UK Government's taxation framework, which, it believes, has allowed Shell to pay more money to its shareholders than it spends on renewable investments, despite being a UK-headquartered company, and further believes that the structure of taxation of companies in the UK needs to be overhauled to bring an end to the greed and excess being witnessed.


Supported by: Clare Adamson, Siobhian Brown, Maggie Chapman, Foysol Choudhury, Graeme Dey, James Dornan, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Rhoda Grant, Ross Greer, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, John Mason, Paul McLennan, Carol Mochan, Emma Roddick, Mark Ruskell, Paul Sweeney