London Science Museum cuts links with BP after decades of partnership
News Source
•Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:57:06 GMT
📰 What Happened
The London Science Museum has ended its decades-long partnership with the oil and gas company BP. The Science Museum Group Academy, set up in 2018 to provide training and resources, announced on Friday that the partnership would end at the close of the current contract. Campaigners called the move a “seismic shift”.
Director Sir Ian Blatchford said BP’s contributions helped train more than 11,000 science and museum professionals and reached over a million young people. BP confirmed the partnership ends on Monday, August 31. The Museum had faced years of pressure from climate campaigners to cut the ties.
🔍 The Backstory
BP’s link with the Science Museum went back decades and included sponsorship of the famous “Making the Modern World” gallery. Campaigners accused BP of having “insidious influence” over how science, technology, engineering, and math were taught in the UK.
Climate groups, including Scientist Rebellion activists, protested outside the museum for years, calling the deal greenwashing. Museums around the world have faced growing pressure to drop fossil fuel sponsors. The Science Museum held on longer than many, so this split marks a turning point for cultural institutions and oil money.
🎯 Why It Matters
This shows how public institutions respond to climate pressure. Where a museum’s money comes from can quietly shape what it teaches and displays, and this decision changes that equation for the whole sector.
The London Science Museum has ended its decades-long partnership with the oil and gas company BP. The Science Museum Group Academy, set up in 2018 to provide training and resources, announced on Friday that the partnership would end at the close of the current contract. Campaigners called the move a “seismic shift”.
Director Sir Ian Blatchford said BP’s contributions helped train more than 11,000 science and museum professionals and reached over a million young people. BP confirmed the partnership ends on Monday, August 31. The Museum had faced years of pressure from climate campaigners to cut the ties.
BP’s link with the Science Museum went back decades and included sponsorship of the famous “Making the Modern World” gallery. Campaigners accused BP of having “insidious influence” over how science, technology, engineering, and math were taught in the UK.
Climate groups, including Scientist Rebellion activists, protested outside the museum for years, calling the deal greenwashing. Museums around the world have faced growing pressure to drop fossil fuel sponsors. The Science Museum held on longer than many, so this split marks a turning point for cultural institutions and oil money.
This shows how public institutions respond to climate pressure. Where a museum’s money comes from can quietly shape what it teaches and displays, and this decision changes that equation for the whole sector.