Those include activist hedge fund Elliott Management, which recently took a stake in BP with a view to pushing for significant changes.“It’s a radical shift,” Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss said in an interview.

The energy giant said it would cut planned investment in clean energy and redirect spending toward fossil fuels.

British energy company BP has confirmed it is to slash spending on green ventures and up its oil and gas production.

BP said it would increase its investments in oil and gas by about 20% to $10bn (£7.9bn) a year, while decreasing previously planned renewables funding by more than $5bn (£3.9bn).

Embattled oil major BP on Wednesday unveiled what it billed as a strategic reset, planning to increase oil and gas investment while reducing outlays for greener fuels.

BP has reversed its green energy strategy, increasing oil and gas investments while cutting renewables spending, following pressure from investors like Elliott Management.

BP said it still hopes to become a net-zero firm but will only spend up to £1.6bn a year on projects aimed at the energy transition, representing a significant cut.

BP has confirmed it will slash spending on net zero transition businesses by more than five billion US dollars (£3.95 billion) a year, and significantly ramp up its oil and gas operations. The fossil fuels giant said it is still targeting net zero operations but will only spend up to two billion dollars (£1.