British Cycling announced its new partnership with the oil giant Shell as a result that it is facing a backlash from its members and environmental groups.
British Cycling’s governing body claimed that the partnership would help our organization and sport take important steps towards net zero.
On this partnership, many critics used social media to ask whether it was April Fool’s Day. One respondent said Partnering with a fossil fuel company is an accelerant to your path to net zero. Is this satire?
Greenpeace also condemned the decision of British Cycling to enter a long-term partnership with Shell. Dr. Doug Parr, the director of Greenpeace UK policy, said the idea of Shell helping British Cycling reach net zero is as absurd as beef farmers advising lettuce farmers on how to go vegan.
Doug Parr said after being booted out of museums and other cultural institutions, Big Oil is looking at sports as the next frontier for their brazen greenwash. Moreover, he said their aim had not changed to distract from the inconvenient fact that the fossil fuel industry is making our planet uninhabitable.
Jamie Peters, the energy campaigner of Friends of the Earth, said cycling is the epitome of environmentally friendly travel, and It is deeply disappointing that UK Cycling could think it is appropriate to partner with giant fossil fuel.
Jamie said shell is continuing to invest billions in gas and oil projects while using cynical PR initiatives like this partnership to attempt to greenwash its harmful activities.
Moreover, Jamie said tobacco firms are rightly banned from sports sponsorship due to the damaging health effects, and the same should apply to oil and gas companies which are devastating the health of our planet. Shell should have been told to get on its bike, Jamie said.
Brian Facer, CEO of British Cycling, said we are looking forward to working alongside Shell UK over the rest of this decade to widen access to the sport, support our elite riders and help our organization and sport take important steps toward net zero.
