The outgoing boss of BP has revealed some of his daughter's friends in California are on antidepressants because of their worries over climate change.

Bob Dudley, who is to step down as chief executive in February, admitted he hated seeing 'young people so unhappy, so anxious' about the impact of global warming from increasing carbon emissions.

BP produces the equivalent of 3.7 million barrels of oil a day, and is directly and indirectly responsible for up to 491 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, The Times reports.

Bob Dudley, who is to step down as chief executive in February, admitted he hated seeing 'young people so unhappy, so anxious' about the impact of global warming from increasing carbon emissions

The fossil fuel giant has been targetted by Extinction Rebellion protesters and was dropped as a sponsor by the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Galleries Scotland.

Mr Dudley, 64, said his daughter, a social worker in California, demanded of him: 'How you can work for a company that in five years won't be selling petrol?'

He said: 'I wish the young people today would get more involved in energy — actually getting involved, whether it's renewables or not.

'Because it's the easiest job to throw rocks. It is just such fun. But you have to have some responsibility for these things and that's not what everybody's doing.'

Mr Dudley added that he hated seeing young people so anxious, and that his daughter told him people around her are on antidepressants.

Despite investing green energies, such as biofuels and solar power, BP has been criticised for putting only 3 percent of its annual spending budget into renewables.