Stop Science Museum partnerships with Adani, Shell, BP & Equinor

Despite the mounting climate crisis, the Science Museum Group has worked in close partnership with three oil and gas giants – BP, Shell and Equinor – since the early 2000s. It has also signed a new sponsorship deal with Adani, a conglomerate that is ramping up its coal production. 

Culture Unstained is campaigning against these fossil sponsorhips. Find an overview of the campaign against these fossil majors in the science museum here. 46 scientists, science policy experts, naturalists and community representatives filed a formal complaint to the Science Museum Group to call for an end to their partnerships with oil giants BP, Shell and Equinor. 

More about the fossil sponsors:

• Equinor – the Norwegian oil and gas giant currently drilling in the Arctic – is the title sponsor of ‘Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery’, an interactive science space for children which opened in 2016.
• Shell was sponsor of the Science Museum’s ‘Atmosphere’ exhibition on climate science, but internal emails revealed in 2015 how the oil giant attempted to influence the exhibition’s curation. The partnership did not end, however, and in 2018, Shell sponsored the exhibition ‘Electricity: the spark of life’ at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. In April 2021 it was announced as the sponsor of the Science Museum’s ‘Our Future Planet’ exhibition on Carbon Capture and Storage.
• BP worked hand in hand with the Science Museum on the creation of its Energy Gallery in 2003. Today, BP sponsors the SMG’s STEM ‘Training Academy’ to train teachers on how to deliver science education, and until recently hosted the annual awards ceremony of its ‘Ultimate STEM Challenge’ in the museum.
• Adani Green Energy is the renewables division of the Adani Group, a conglomerate which – despite its involvement in renewables – is ramping up its production of coal and constructing new coal-fired power stations. It was announced as the sponsor of the Science Museum’s new ‘Energy Revolution’ gallery which replaces the Shell-sponsored ‘Atmosphere’ gallery, and will open in 2023.