Two trustees of the UK Science Museum, Jo Foster and Hannah Fry, have resigned following the charity’s decision to partner with Adani Green Energy, a subsidiary of the Adani Group.
A prominent fossil fuel conglomerate, the Adani Group operates in thermal power plants and coal mining. Coal is one of the most polluting fossil fuels and thus a major contributor to global warming.
The Adani Group is funding a new gallery at the Science Museum entitled Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery which is due to open in 2023. It will promote green energy and display low carbon technologies that will help curb climate change.
Accused of greenwashing
The Science Museum’s decision to partner with the fossil fuel company has also been criticised by environmentalist groups.
Stop Adani, a campaign group, has accused Adani of greenwashing – a term used to define organisations which market their company as environmentally friendly despite practising unsustainable activity.
Similarly, The UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) held a protest inside the Science Museum about its decision to partner with Adani last week.
The Science Museum has also partnered with Shell, a leading oil and gas company, on its climate exhibition. At the time of writing, a petition encouraging the Science Museum to end its partnership with Shell has garnered over 51,000 signatures.
Foster and Fry follow in the footsteps of former Science Museum adviser, Chris Rapley, who resigned last month over the charity’s stance on receiving funding from giant oil companies like Shell, BP and Equinor.
Hannah Fry resigns ‘with a heavy heart’
Fry, professor of Mathematics at UCL, wrote a piece for The Times where she explained that it was “with a heavy heart” that she made the decision to resign.
“By allowing such public ties with these companies, I worry that the Science Museum gives the false impression that scientists believe the current efforts of fossil fuel companies are sufficient to avoid disaster,” she wrote.
“Climate change presents a crucial turning point for humanity, and it comes in an era where pseudo-science is running high and trust in national institutions is at an all-time low. Being a credible, trusted voice is a fragile prize that should be preserved above all else. The Science Museum should serve as a leader in the national conversation and provide a platform for scientific inspiration on climate matters, but I don’t see that it can do so while it fails to speak out openly on these issues.”
Foster, the director at the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS), has also resigned following the Science Museum’s decision. Foster has been a trustee for the charity since 2019.
Science Museum’s response
Dame Mary Archer, chair of the Science Museum’s board of trustees, stated that she has “reluctantly accepted the resignation of Jo Foster and Hannah Fry”.
Archer said: “On behalf of the board, I’d like to thank Hannah and Jo for their significant and valued contributions as trustees. We fully respect their decision to step down, which reflects views they expressed during recent board discussions on accepting sponsorship from Adani Green Energy, and they will both remain critical friends of the Science Museum Group.”
Archer stressed: “Nothing short of an energy revolution is required to replace fossil fuels with renewables, as a new gallery at the Science Museum will explore.”
This news comes as the COP26 summit is underway (31 October - 12 November) where world leaders come together to propose solutions to the climate crisis.
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