Science Museum ends BP training partnership

The London Science Museum Group Academy has ended its partnership with the oil and gas company BP. The decision, announced on a Friday, concludes a contract that had provided funding for science engagement training since 2018.

Sir Ian Blatchford, the director and chief executive of the Science Museum Group, stated the partnership had "drawn to a close at the end of the current contract term." A BP spokesperson confirmed the partnership would end on Monday, August 31.

Campaigner pressure leads to 'seismic shift'

Chris Garrard of the campaign group Culture Unstained described the move as a "seismic shift." He said it followed years of campaigning and growing pressure from educators and schools. Some schools had pledged to boycott museum trips over the BP link.

"BP's commitment to climate action was never worth the paper it was written on," Garrard stated. He accused the museum's director of having "passionately championed his partnership with the major polluter year after year." Garrard said the museum had now "finally come to its senses" amid global droughts and wildfires and as BP increases fossil fuel production.

Campaigners had previously accused BP of exerting an "insidious influence" over the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and maths in the UK through the museum relationship.

A partial victory and remaining sponsors

However, Chris Garrard called the decision only a "partial victory." He noted the Science Museum still accepts funding from Adani Green Energy Ltd. This company is a subsidiary of the Adani Group, one of the world's largest private coal mining and energy conglomerates.

This is not the first time the museum has severed ties with an energy firm. In 2024, it cut links with the oil company Equinor. That decision was over Equinor's failure to sufficiently lower carbon emissions to align with the Paris climate agreement goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C.

The partnership's legacy and function

Sir Ian Blatchford acknowledged BP's contributions. He said the company's "generous contributions helped us to inspire more than 11,000 education, museum and science professionals through research-informed science engagement training." This training supported work to reach more than 1 million young people across the country.

The Science Museum Group Academy, established in 2018, provides training and resources to teachers, museum practitioners, and the Stem industry both nationally and internationally. Its work continues without BP's support.