Revealed: BP’s ‘greenwashing’ social media ads as anger over fuel costs rose

The ads promote BP’s plan to transition to net zero but environmental analysts say the investments are being outstripped by its spending on fossil fuels. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

BP has spent more than £800,000 on social media influence ads in the UK this year that champion the company’s investments in green energy, it can be revealed.

On Tuesday, BP announced a 14-year high profit of £7bn for the second quarter of this year. In the previous eight days, the company paid about £570,000 to Facebook and Instagram for influence ads that reached tens of millions of viewers in the UK.