Fossil Fuel Giants Spend £4bn on Sports Sponsorships

Fossil fuel companies have invested over £4 billion in sports sponsorships according to a recent report by the New Weather Institute (NWI) in an attempt to divert attention from their environmental impact and health risks. In its report titled “Dirty Money – How Fossil Fuel Sponsors Are Polluting Sport,” NWI analyzes more than 200 active sponsorship deals and highlights how the oil and gas industry increasingly uses sports to improve its public image through greenwashing.

Moreover, the report identifies football as having the highest number of partnerships with the fossil fuel industry with 58 deals. Motorsports follow with 39, rugby union with 17 and golf with 15. Olympic gold-medal rower Imogen Grant criticizes this trend, stating that companies harming the environment are using sports to boost their reputation which directly affects the very sports they sponsor.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Aramco leads as the largest fossil fuel sponsor, investing nearly £1 billion across ten deals. Other major sponsors include Ineos with £588 million, Shell with £355 million and TotalEnergies with £257 million. Aramco has high-profile deals with FIFA, Formula 1 and the International Cricket Council. Meanwhile, Ineos and TotalEnergies also face scrutiny with Greenpeace criticizing TotalEnergies’ sponsorship of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Furthermore, NWI calls on sports organizations to implement “tobacco-style bans” on fossil fuel sponsorships and pursue more sustainable funding sources. Andrew Simms, NWI’s co-director argues that fossil fuel companies are following big tobacco’s playbook by promoting themselves as patrons of sport. He warns that air pollution from fossil fuels and climate change threaten athletes, fans and major sporting events.

Andrew Simms urges sports organizations to sever ties with polluting sponsors to secure a cleaner and more sustainable future.