Museums defend BP sponsorship despite backlash against cuts to climate change funding

The British Museum’s relationship with BP was decried as ‘untenable’ and ‘indefensible’. Two of Britain’s most esteemed museums have defended their relationships with BP despite calls for them to cut ties following the oil and gas giant’s announcements it was slashing investments in renewable energy.

BP revealed on Wednesday that as part of what CEO Murray Auchincloss is calling a “fundamental reset”, they had signed a deal worth £19.8bn ($25bn) with the government of Iraq to work on multiple oil and gasfields in the country. As well as this, they said renewable energy investment will fall by £3.95bn ($5bn) a year. The British Museum and Science Museum are two of Britain’s best-loved museums and have monetary partnerships with the oil and gas company. BP sponsors a STEM training academy for educators via the Science Museum.

In 2023, it signed a 10-year partnership with The British Museum as part of its redevelopment for £50m, just months after its 27-year sponsorship of the institution came to an end. Environmental campaign group Culture Unstained, said that the British Museum’s continued partnership with BP following its new strategy announcement was “indefensible” and “untenable”.

A spokesperson for the British Museum told The Independent it had no plans of changing its partnership with BP. It said: “The Museum is embarking on the most exciting and ambitious redevelopment project in its 270 year history, modernising its iconic buildings which are in urgent need of renovation.

“Significant financial support is vital for this to proceed, and we need corporate and private donations from companies like bp to ensure that the magnificent collection stays on display to the public for centuries to come.”. A Science Museum Group spokesperson said: “The sponsorship we receive from a wide range of funders, including BP which supports the Science Museum Group Academy, is vital to our mission to inspire millions of people every year.”.

Aberdeen Art Gallery, which operates through the Aberdeen City Council, named some of its galleries the BP galleries following a payment made to its redevelopment in 2019. A City Council spokesperson said: “bp and Aberdeen City Council have a long-standing relationship, working together on a wide range of projects for the benefit of the city, including green hydrogen production and support for the award-winning Art Gallery redevelopment. Those relationships are set to continue.”.

Culture Unstained told The Independent: “BP has abandoned any pretence of caring about the climate or the communities in which it operates. In ditching its past plans to cut production in order to now ramp up investments in more oil and gas, BP has made it abundantly clear that its billions in profits will always come before people and the planet.

“With BP now brazenly recommitting to dirty fossil fuels, cultural organisations such as The British Museum and Science Museum must urgently move to end their sponsorship deals with the major polluter. “The British Museum’s decision to sign up to a 10-year partnership with BP was indefensible when it was announced just a year ago but now it is clearly untenable.

“As climate impacts such as wild fires, hurricanes and flooding intensify, these museums will appear even more out-of-touch, and particularly with the concerns of younger generations. “The Boards of both institutions must urgently think again as the huge harm to their reputations that will be brought about by choosing to back BP - especially after this environmentally reckless change in business plans - should not be underestimated.”.

Culture Unstained isn’t the only group who have campaigned within the UK’s culture and arts scene to bring an end to oil companies funding in the industry. BP or not BP and Art Not Oil have previously issued statements against the company’s investment in British arts.

The campaign has seen successes in recent years after the National Portrait Gallery, Tate and the Royal Opera House all ended partnerships with the company. The Science Museum previously dropped its long running sponsorship deal with the Norwegian oil giant, Equinor in 2024.