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BP Ends 30-Year Partnership of London’s National Portrait Gallery

BP Ends 30-Year Partnership With U.K. Gallery Amid Scrutiny

BP Plc is ending a three-decade partnership with the National Portrait Gallery as relationships between the arts and fossil-fuel companies come under increased scrutiny in the U.K.

The London-based energy giant said it won’t extend the contract beyond December, and it was ensuring that any partnerships were “actively” aligned with the company’s new climate strategy. It didn’t give a reason for not renewing the contract.

“We are immensely proud of our role in championing British arts and culture for over 30 years, but the BP of today is a very different company from when we first started our partnership with the National Portrait Gallery,” Louise Kingham, BP’s senior vice president for Europe and U.K. country head, said in a statement.

The museum, founded in 1856, isn’t the only one feeling the heat from environmental groups for its relationship with the company. On Monday, protesters staged a mock exhibition at the British Museum with placards showing pictures of BP drilling for oil at Stonehenge.

Activists have focused in recent years on arts institutions that receive money from major oil and gas companies, with several ultimately severing ties. The Royal Shakespeare Company pulled its partnership with BP in 2019 following criticism, while the Tate ended its relationship with the firm in 2017.

London’s Science Museum was subjected to protests and sit-ins last year after Shell Plc sponsored a carbon-capture exhibition.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.