Browne joins green business

John Browne, the former chief executive of BP, has underlined the growing commercial value of tropical forests at a time of global warming by joining a business that claims to mix “ethical” conservation with selling carbon credits.

Browne’s appointment at Sustainable Forestry Management came as oil giants Shell and ExxonMobil announced they might sell their joint venture in biofuels business, Infineum.


Browne had wanted to take BP “beyond petroleum” and was responsible for a series of green initiatives. Since leaving BP last May he has made a number of speeches saying big money in future would be made in trading carbon as much as oil.

SFM said it was “honoured” to have Browne join the company because he was a pioneer in finding market-based responses to global warming and, reputedly, one of the first to recognise the importance of forests to stabilise the atmosphere.

Guardian