The interview examined the tactics of ‘Just Stop Oil’ following a number of highly publicised protests which included throwing tomato soup at a Van Gogh painting. Nick Robinson spoke the group’s Indigo Rumbelow who began by setting out what she said “we all agree on” and referred to some of the threats posed by human-induced climate change.  She then made the claim “our Government’s decision to pursue new oil is a death sentence for millions around the world” to which Mr Robinson responded: 

“So you make the point there is widespread agreement on the threat caused by climate change.  Fine.  There is.  It simply isn’t true to say that everybody agrees that having new oil development will kill millions of people, they don’t agree on it.  In fact, no government in any country around the world of any political complexion agrees with that statement.”

His intention was to question whether everyone agrees the UK Government’s decision to allow oil and gas companies to bid for new licences to extract oil and gas from the North Sea “will kill millions of people”.  However, BBC News and Mr Robinson accepted what he went on to say could have given the misleading impression he was stating there were no governments opposed to new oil extraction projects and no governments concerned about the threat climate change poses to people’s health and wellbeing.

The ECU noted Mr Robinson posted a tweet on 31 October 2022 to clarify his intention and BBC News said it also considered it appropriate to post a correction on the BBC’s Corrections and Clarifications website.  Unfortunately, an administrative oversight meant this was not published as planned and the complaint was therefore upheld.
Upheld