Under Lord Browne, BP devoted much time, effort and money to pursuing a green, alternative energy agenda. When Browne left and Tony Hayward took over, it was assumed that Brown's "Beyond Petroleum" policy would be shelved. Definitely not, said BP, nothing has changed.

However, a study of BP annual reviews past and present suggests a shift is under way. This is what BP's values used to be: "Green - demonstrating environmental leadership. United around a vision of environmental leadership and recognition that the challenge to develop cleaner energy must be met, we are committed to the proactive and responsible treatment of our planet's natural resources and to the development of sources of lower carbon energy."

This is what they are now: "Responsible. We are committed to the safety and development of our people and the communities and societies in which we operate. We aim for no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment."

In other words, no mention of green, environmental leadership and the development of cleaner energy. Even the word "environment" is included almost as a passing thought.

What a result for Broughton

British Airways chairman and CBI president Martin Broughton confesses to some unorthodox behaviour as a director of Whitbread when it decided to stop sponsoring the Gold Cup at Sandown Park. “I blew my top — which as a non-executive, of course, you are not supposed to do,” says Broughton.

The result? Sponsorship was soon restored and the Queen Mother's equerry, Andrew Parker Bowles, put in a word for Broughton to join the British Horseracing Board where he is now chairman. Happy days.

* It was always assumed that of Sir Tony O'Reilly's sons, Gavin got the best deal, the management of Independent News & Media. Tony Jnr, by contrast was left to run a mishmash of oil-prospecting assets, including a hole in The Weald in Sussex, in a company called Providence Resources. Alas, the spectacular destruction of shareholder value at INM in recent months has left their market caps within touching distance of each other and Tony Jnr may yet have the last laugh.

Mr Anthea is down but not out

Grant Bovey and his wife, former TV golden girl Anthea Turner, have fallen on hard times: they're selling their Alpine chalet and Surrey mansion, having seen his property businesses blitzed by the credit crunch.

His Imagine Homes is now in the hands of HBOS, Bovey's former business partners and its sister company Imagine Furnishings — run by Turner — is also in administration. “Our net worth was over £100 million. Now it's an awful lot less, just a small fraction of what it was,” said Bovey. But is he down and out? Not a bit of it — he says he is setting up two new companies. He won't say what line of business they're in.

* Norton Rose is asking its partners to go part-time, to save the firm £5 million a year. Who is the firm's chief executive that is encouraging them to make this sacrifice? Peter Martyr.

Nothing Comic about when Ratner met Sugar

Hats off to Gerald Ratner for taking part in an Apprentice special for Comic Relief. He clearly did not get on with Sir Alan Sugar. “It's been said that profit is sanity and turnover is vanity,” said Ratner to Sir Alan Sugar. “In fact, Sir Alan, I think it was you.” Sugar growled back, visibly irritated: “No, it wasn't me — it was some schmuck on Dragons' Den.”

They crossed swords over the challenge set to Ratner's team, to create and make a toy within three days. “I believe in the product — it's sexy, kids like it, and it's a fashion accessory.” claimed Ratner.

“Well, the business model doesn't work — have you done any market research?” shot back Sugar. Countered Ratner: “Retailing is about your instinct, thinking it would sell and selling it at a profit.”

Sugar's assessment of Ratner? “A miserable team leader who's always miserable and never smiles.”

* A German frozen food company is marketing a chicken snack called “Obama fingers” and has promptly provoked accusations of racism. Sprehe markets the Obama fingers as “tender, juicy pieces of chicken breast, coated and fried”. But in America racists denigrate black people by claiming they eat nothing but fried chicken. Judith Witting, the firm's sales manager, said the connection between the product and racist slurs never occurred to her. “It was supposed to be a homage to the American lifestyle and the new US President,” she said.

* City Spy is grateful to The Grocer for the news that a Hindu group in India is marketing a drink based on cow's urine. Apparently, it helps combat disease...

Mandelson's old pals' reunion

As Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Lord Mandelson is in charge of a department with a brief ranging from “enterprise and business support” to “employment matters”. BERR is certainly taking the employment part to heart. It's beefing up the PR department, increasing its “chief press officers” to five, and inventing the new post of “head of digital med­ia”. Mandelson has also sweet-talked two former colleagues from his old job as EU trade commissioner —Peter Power and Stephen Adams — to join him as press secretary and chief speechwriter respectively.

* At the Mipim property trade fair in Cannes, Estates Gazette reports, “the vast majority of the boats on show [moored in Cannes harbour] this year belong to law firms, with Lovells, Freshfelds, Jones Day and Orrick all bumping up against each other. The insolvency work is clearly starting to pay.”

* However, the magazine reports that Nick and Christian Candy's yacht, Candyscape, was in evidence. “Hung on a wall inside is one of Nick's favourite pieces of art': the knife belt worn by Bond girl Halle Berry in the 2002 film, Die Another Day.”

* Those lawyers know how to have a good time. Contestants at a Law Society charity quiz night were asked: “What was the subject of the recent Court of Appeal judgment, Jonathan Yearworth v North Bristol NHS Trust?” Answer: sperm ownership.