On Tuesday the 8th of November, Birmingham University Chemical Engineering Society (BUCES) hosted a careers networking dinner, and invited BP and Exxon. This prompted a protest outside the University Edgbaston Park Hotel, the location of the event. 

Protesters stood at the entrance, and discussed with students about their issues with the invitation of Exxon and BP. Some attending students expressed their agreement. They also chanted: ‘ExxonMobil, BP Shell Take your oil and go to hell!’ and ‘What do we want? Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now!’ Towards the end of the protest, people moved towards the back of the hotel, and pressed their signs against the glass closer to where the event was taking place.

‘ExxonMobil, BP Shell Take your oil and go to hell!’

Issy, a protester, stressed that ‘we are on the side of the students and want them to have the best chances and connections’. She argued that ‘Exxon and BP took up spaces at that dinner that could have been people from things like hydrogen companies, other renewables or other important industries that will allow students to play their part in shaping the sustainable and just transition.’

In 2019 Exxon disclosed a level of emissions that is roughly equal to the emissions output of Canada as a whole. Additionally, the company does not have a company-wide net-zero emissions target in place that will live up to the Paris Agreement temperature goals. In 2019, over 96% of BP’s annual spend was on oil and gas. In 2019 ClientEarth launched a complaint against BP because they felt some of the advertising they were putting out contained greenwashing. BP then withdrew its campaign.

In 2019, over 96% of BP’s annual spend was on oil and gas

Another protester, Gwydion Elliot, told us: ‘The fossil fuel industry has no place on our campus while they continue to greenwash and cause climate catastrophe. They are holding events to recruit the very people who’s futures they are ruining. Students deserve far better than that, and we will not accept it.’

Redbrick reached out for comment from Exxon and they said: ​​

‘ExxonMobil welcomes debate and productive dialogue on important issues, including climate change, but it’s disappointing when individuals choose to put their singular views above the opportunity to help accelerate solutions that support society’s goal of a net zero future.

We regularly engage in candid conversations that are respectful and based on facts and sound rationale.

Moving the complex, global energy system to a lower-emission future will require contributions from private industry, governments and academia. With our advantages in scale, integration, technology and people, we plan to play a leading role in the energy transition and be a collaborative, essential partner.

For decades, ExxonMobil has been dedicated to supporting research, including projects on identifying alternative sources of energy and the development of technologies to help address climate change.

Our strategy and the changes we’ve made to evolve the company over the past several years have positioned us to make a real difference.

While continuing to focus on our core strengths and competitive advantages, we are advancing sustainable solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs.

We’re looking for high-quality engineers and scientists, who can make meaningful contributions and drive innovation to support our investments in carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and biofuels.

We’re pleased with the top talent we continue to attract at ExxonMobil.’

The University also provided a comment, they said:

‘The University of Birmingham is committed to sustainability and has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero carbon by 2045. We have joined many others in declaring a Climate Emergency and we have signed up to the UN Race to Zero global campaign.

The University of Birmingham invests in companies that are committed to transitioning to a sustainable future and an associated lower carbon world in line with the Paris Agreement, enabling us to influence change. All investments are identified by the University’s socially-conscious, independent investment managers; they comply with the University’s Responsible Investment Policy, which excludes oil and mining companies where over 5% of their global revenues come from the largest pollutants.

We have reduced our investment in fossil fuel-related companies down to 0.22% (from 10% in 2018). We fully expect to reduce this further as the result of investment fund changes being made in the coming months. 

We recognise the right to peaceful protest.’

‘The University of Birmingham is committed to sustainability’

We asked Issy for a comment on her reasons for attending the protest and she said: ‘We were protesting against Exxon and BP being on campus, invited by the Chemical Engineering Society.’

‘Students deserve so much better. Exxon and BP are both hugely responsible for the climate crisis that will see current students watch and suffer from increasing climate instability over our lifetimes. Exxon is particularly responsible for funding climate change denial, as they first realised what their profits would mean back in the 1970s and have spent $33 million on groups that spread disinformation since.’

‘Having these kind of companies on campus legitimises them in the eyes of the students, and goes completely against the university’s declaration of a climate emergency where they state ‘the organisations we choose to work with… matter.’

‘The fossil fuel industry won’t disrupt itself, and is in fact doubling down on investments in oil and gas despite the UN and international energy agency warnings that we cannot have any new oil and gas if we are to avoid climate catastrophe. The markets are already shifting in favour of renewables which are 9 times cheaper than oil and gas currently, and these oil giants will just be left behind, making themselves redundant.’

‘The fossil fuel industry won’t disrupt itself’

‘We are also extremely disappointed that Exxon was allowed to give a careers talk to undergraduates which was extremely misleading and blatant greenwashing. It focused on their $16 billion to invest in renewables over the next 5 years, rather than the yearly $20-25 billion that they will spend on looking for new fossil fuels until 2025. Whilst they pushed that the fossil fuel companies have the capital and sway to push the markets, and that is true, those numbers alone speak volumes about whether this will actually happen. Anyone joining Exxon or BP risks becoming a stranded asset, with training from an irrelevant industry in 10 years time, having the retrain and reskill and start over.’

‘We think that the Chemical Engineering Society owes its members better opportunities than pushing them towards Exxon. Whatever money it might pay them for socials.’ 

‘We think that the Chemical Engineering Society owes its members better opportunities’

‘Climate change won’t stay in Pakistan or Somalia. The effects of today there will be our reality tomorrow.’

‘Protesting outside oil companies premises is only going to increase in the coming years, so for those who do want to work in oil and gas, it was an excellent chance at work experience.’

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