London Science Museum's sponsorship deal with BP ends after almost 25 years
Museum leadership said the partnership would end on 31 August ‘at the end of its agreed term’, though reports suggest the agreement was due to continue until 2028
The Science Museum Group in London is concluding its 25-year sponsorship arrangement with BP following mounting pressure over the oil and gas company's involvement in fossil fuels. The Science Museum Group (SMG) announced the termination of the partnership on 31 August, at the end of the agreed term. This follows years of criticism surrounding the museum's ties with BP and other fossil fuel companies.
The partnership encompassed BP funding the museum's training academy, with the SMG spokesperson clarifying that reports of a ten-year agreement due to conclude in 2028 were inaccurate. The museum's relationship with BP also included sponsorship of its former Energy Gallery and the 2015 exhibition Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age.
The decision to end the BP sponsorship mirrors the growing backlash against the museum's relationships with fossil fuel firms. Last year, teachers organized a boycott of school trips to the museum until it severed ties with BP and Adani, a campaign supported by the National Education Union. BP's sponsorship was deemed a "shameful stain on its reputation" by geography teacher Daniel Selwyn, who attributed the museum's decision to end the partnership to the "persistent and principled resistance" of students, teachers, scientists, and the wider community.
Despite this victory, SMG director Chris Garrard emphasized that the removal of BP sponsorship is only a partial win, as the museum's involvement with Adani Green Energy remains unresolved. Adani, the world's largest private developer of coal mines, continues to sponsor the museum's Energy Revolution gallery, fueling concerns over the institution's commitment to sustainability.
The controversy surrounding fossil fuel sponsorship has led to high-profile resignations from the museum's board of trustees, with Hannah Fry and Jo Foster exiting in 2021 over the decision to accept Adani Green Energy sponsorship. Former Science Museum director Chris Rapley also resigned from the advisory board in response to the museum's willingness to accept oil and gas sponsorship.
The end of the BP partnership coincides with a broader shift within the museum sector, with the Museums Association approving a new code of ethics in October that calls for museums to transition away from partnerships with organizations contributing to environmental harm, including fossil fuels. The Science Museum's decision to cut ties with BP also leaves the British Museum as the sole major UK cultural institution still backed by the oil and gas company.
Questions have emerged regarding the museum's decision to retain sponsorship from BP, given data suggesting the company's alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement goals remains uncertain. Critics accuse the Science Museum of allowing Adani, which has ties to coal mining and arms manufacturing, to engage in a form of "greenwashing" its reputation through sponsorship. Protests have taken place outside the museum in response to its agreements with BP and Adani Green Energy.
Written by urgent.news from The Art Newspaper's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
