BP donates £50bn to British Museum
BP is to give the British Museum £50 million in the single biggest corporate donation to the arts in the UK.
The oil giant has pledged to support the museum through a major redevelopment of its Bloomsbury site.
Environmental campaigners have repeatedly called for fossil fuel funding to be divorced from the arts. The National Portrait Gallery and the Tate are among the institutions to have cut ties with BP over concerns about climate change.
BP will give the British Museum the £50 million over a 10-year period to help with the “Masterplan” renovation.
The museum said it was the biggest corporate donation to its sector.
Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the British Museum’s Masterplan committee, which is in involved in planning for the museum’s future, said: “The British Museum is one of the largest and most visited cultural institutions in the world but some of its buildings are over 200 years old and in urgent need of refurbishment.
“That’s why the Masterplan is so essential – and it’s exciting to be moving forward with our plans.
“Next year we will begin the process of completely overhauling our outdated energy infrastructure and replacing it with state of the art facilities that will dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, and we will begin a global search amongst leading architects to find a partner to help us reimagine the famous Western Range.
“There’s so much to look forward to in 2024 and we are grateful to all our partners for their support.”
Louise Kingham, senior vice president Europe and UK country chair for BP, said: “The British Museum offers a window to the world for the millions of people that pass through its doors every year.
“As a business that has made Britain its home for over a century, we are proud to be a long-term partner to this important British institution and play our part in its future transformation – whilst helping to ensure that this iconic cultural venue remains freely accessible to all.”
