Spinwatch: How BP Drafted Brussels’ Climate Legislation

Lobbyists for BP and other energy firms drafted climate change legislation that secured a nine billion euro subsidy from taxpayers, internal documents reveal.

The sum covers the entire cost of new technology for cutting carbon emissions from ‘dirty’ coal-fired power stations, saving energy firms from having to pay for it themselves.

Emails obtained by Spinwatch show how the industry cosied up to Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP responsible for drafting legislation on how to pay for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

In the absence of political pressure on the industry to fund the clean-up itself, Davies drove through legislation which means the bill is being paid by taxpayers. The industry was so happy that it later gave the MEP an award.

(via Instapaper)