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10

2020 Oil Giant BP Sets Net-Zero Northern Businesses
Target By 2050
12th, The new boss of BP

February has promised to fun- Face Challenging

damentally “reinvent”

| the oil giant as he Customs Forms For
pledged the company
EXAMINER neutral by the middle Goods Sent To UK
would become carbon
of the century.
Looney,
Bernard
IRISH who took the top job
last week, said that his
business would aim to
get to net-zero by 2050 – the same target that was adopted
by the UK Government last year.
“The world’s carbon budget is finite and running out fast;
we need a rapid transition to net-zero. We all want energy
that is reliable and affordable, but that is no longer enough.
It must also be cleaner,” Mr Looney said.
However, critics were quick to point out that the compa-
ny’s announcement left many unanswered questions and
contained little detail on how to reach BP’s aims.
“There is nothing ambitious about a plan that is simply
not credible. BP’s net-zero pledge looks like an attempt to
grab some positive headlines by a new CEO, but with little
of substance to show how it will achieve these grand
claims,” said Murray Worthy at Global Witness, an environ-
mental charity.
Mr Looney will hope to leave his mark on the century-old
business after taking over from American Bob Dudley last usinesses in the North may erning trade relations with the shops about Brexit to local
week. C have to fill out customs EU after Brexit are finalized, Mr firms, most of which have less
Bformswith31entriestosend Durkan said. than 50 employees.
goods to the rest of the UK, trade An EU summit of leaders is The greatest area of concern
officialstheresaid. scheduled for June when a deci- raised by local enterprises
Many firms in the North are sion should be made on involved customs, tariffs and
not ready for Brexit, govern- whether to extend the transi- taxation.
ment jobs creation agency tion period during which the Mr Durkan added: “Many
Invest NI also warned. UK remains part of the EU’s businesses have no prior knowl-
The paperwork alone could customs arrangements. edge of completing customs
cost up to £55 each time to fill Invest NI officials gave evi- declarations.
out and smaller companies dence to Stormont’s Economy “If they are selling products
dealing in lesser loads will be Committee today. into the UK they are going to
disproportionately affected, the The official jobs creation have to complete a customs
organisation said. agency has provided advisory declaration that includes 31 ele-
Donal Durkan, in charge of support and information work- ments.” C
strategy at Invest NI, said many
firms he was working with Eurostat Reveals 27% Gap Between
were waiting to act until the EU Men And Women’s Pensions
withdrawal was clarified.
He said that could leave too Women
little time to act before the end in Ireland
of the transition period in receive 27%
December. less than
“The difficulty we have is men in pen-
that the Northern Ireland pro- sion entitle-
tocol probably is not going to ments.
get resolved until June or July New fig-
this year,” he said. ures from
“The difficulty is the E u r o s t a t
timescale, that (whether) they show that
are going to be able to put what the gap has
they need to do in place to com- narrowed from a differential of 35% in 2010.
ply. The gap exists because many women who leave the paid
“It is a challenge for business- workforce to raise children make fewer PRSI payments.
es that have not had that experi- Gerry Kiely of the European Commission office in Dublin
ence. says more needs to be done to rectify the situation.
“That will pose problems for “The Irish situation is better than the average in Europe and
our businesses.” the trend is in a positive direction,” said Mr Kiely.
It will probably be this sum- “Nevertheless, a gap of 27% between a woman and a man’s
mer before details around the pension is unacceptable.
Northern Ireland protocol gov- “It needs to be rectified as soon as possible.” C