With confirmation from BP today that it will be dropping its target to cut oil and gas production, we believe it’s time for cultural organisations to act…

“Before this week, BP was already falling well short of internationally agreed climate targets due, in large part, to its significant investments in new oil and gas drilling. Now, 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.“