Science Museum caves in to pressure from climate change campaigners to end sponsorship deal with oil and gas giant Equinor

The Science Museum has caved in to pressure from campaigners to cut ties with an energy firm over concerns about its environmental impact.

Since 2016, the Norwegian-state owned oil, gas and renewable energy firm Equinor had sponsored the museum's interactive 'WonderLab'.

But the partnership will not be renewed as the company has failed to align its carbon emissions with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Emails from Sir Ian Blatchford, the Science Museum director, indicated that Equinor breached the museum's pledge to ensure sponsors complied with the 2015 agreement, according to The Observer.

A spokesman for the Science Museum Group confirmed the end of the sponsorship and encouraged Equinor to improve its emissions reduction targets.

'Equinor's sponsorship of the Science Museum's WonderLab gallery has drawn to a close at the end of their current contract term,' he said.

'The partnership concludes with our warm appreciation and with our encouragement to Equinor to continue to raise the bar in its efforts to put in place emissions reduction targets aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.'

The deal had faced criticism from campaigners due to Equinor's involvement in Rosebank, an oil and gas field in the North Sea.

Climate change activists hailed the museum's decision as a 'seismic shift' but urged the institution to apply the same standards to other sponsors, including BP and the Indian coal-mining conglomerate Adani.

Chris Garrard, co-director of Culture Unstained, remarked, 'With BP also failing to align its business with Paris Agreement goals and Adani being the world's biggest private producer of coal, the museum must now hold these companies to the same standard and stop promoting their toxic brands.'

While BP said it is aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, the claim is disputed by activists.

Jonathan Porritt, the former director of Friends of the Earth UK, and co-author of a children's book on global warming with King Charles, said the decision by the Science Museum was: 'Excellent News!'

He added: 'Excellent news! The Museum's intransigent and dishonest posturing over its links with Equinor,BP and Adani has brought it into terrible disrepute.' The move by the Science Museum is just the latest example of a high-profile corporate and arts relationship ending because of alleged environmental, social or governance issues.

A number of literary events, including the Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Borders Book Festival, recently cancelled long running partnerships with Baillie Gifford after threats of boycotts from authors and protests by activists.

Baillie Gifford, which manages £225 billion in assets, was targeted by the activist group Fossil Free Books over its investment in fossil fuels and companies that have commercial dealings with Israel.