"First attempt to quantify scale of “sportswashing” likely to be an underestimate, authors warn."
"Oil and gas companies are spending an estimated $5.6 billion on sports sponsorships, seeking to extend their social licence to boost production of fossil fuels even as the climate crisis intensifies, according to a new report.
Top sports sponsors include Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company ($1.3 billion); British oil major Shell ($469 million); petrochemicals giant Ineos ($776 million); and French oil company TotalEnergies ($327 million), the study by the New Weather Institute found.
“Taking money from fossil fuel sponsors is sport signing a deal for more devastating impacts on floods, bush fires and heatwaves,” said Australian former rugby captain, now Senator, Dave Pocock. “If we are going to transition we need to stop fossil fuel companies trying to extend their social license through sponsoring sport.”
The authors said the report represented the first attempt to quantify the value of fossil fuel sports sponsorships globally, and warned that a lack of transparency over the deals meant the figures were likely to be an underestimate."
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