As we all know, just three years ago, BP was responsible for the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. How has the leadership at BP reacted? First they spent $50 million on ads to try to convince the public that they would take responsibility for their actions. But when the time came to pay up this year, they turned around and tried to back out of the agreement they negotiated to compensate victims of the spill.
BP and current CEO Bob Dudley made a promise to the Gulf, and now -- just like a deadbeat dad -- they're trying to back out of their commitment. It's time BP drop Dudley and honor its commitment to the men and women whose lives depend on a healthy Gulf coast. BP is essentially asking victims in the Gulf to give it a pass on breaking its promises and ruining lives. Instead, BP should drop Dudley as the face of this charade and be held accountable. You can sign the petition to tell BP to Drop Dudley here.
BP is now spending millions in ads to try to convince the public that they are the victims in the oil spill settlement. David Yarnold, President of the National Audubon Society explains, "They are softening the beachheads for appeals down the road. And trying to buy American public opinion and avoid paying for what they broke." This ad campaign reflects a bad pattern in corporate leadership that could be truly ruinous to the company's future, and our country's future.
This poor leadership comes right from the top at BP. Bob Dudley, BP CEO, is leading the company off a cliff by refusing to live up to the promise of their own ads, which proclaim that BP is "Committed to the Gulf. Committed to America." Bob Dudley has made it clear that his strategy is to try to drag out the legal process to reduce BP's culpability, saying, "We are digging in and are well prepared for the long haul on legal matters." And in the middle of the turmoil, Bob Dudley was awarded a $4.19 million bonus despite slumping profits at BP this year.
The Corporate Action Network announced the launch of this new campaign calling on BP to sever ties with CEO Bob Dudley and honor its commitment to fairly compensate victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as the landmark environmental trial enters its second stage at a federal court in New Orleans this week.
Corporations have a responsibility to the public, especially when they are capable of ruining the livelihoods of thousands and the natural environment for an entire coastline. The courts have spoken and BP plead guilty to a crime. They must pay their debt to society -- and they cannot be let off the hook simply because they have the resources to run a PR campaign on their own behalf.
We cannot let their PR tsunami overcome the evidence that BP was clearly negligent and must compensate the people of the Gulf fairly. BP is willing to spend millions on ads to sway public opinion to get out of the billions they owe. If BP is to move forward as a good corporate actor with a solid financial future, there must be a change in leadership.