The Edinburgh International Science Festival currently on now till 21st of April has made the decision that  it will no longer accept funding from fossil fuel companies.

Credit: Ric Lander

A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Science Festival said:

“the sector is not moving fast enough to meet the IPCC targets and that there is a conflict between their behaviour and the underlying science.”

The Festival will avoid taking funds from “fossil fuel companies and their primary trade bodies”, the latter referring to income taken from partnerships with the Scottish Oil Club.

Tara Wight, spokesperson for campaign group Science Unstained  and PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, said:

“Following a year of campaigning, we welcome the decision by Edinburgh Science to distance themselves from the fossil fuel industry.

“By being associated with science outreach events, fossil fuel companies aim to clean up their image and present themselves as responsible organisations that are in alignment with scientific consensus on climate change. Fossil fuel companies have known about the science of climate change for decades, yet instead of taking action they have continued to expand and intensify the extraction of fossil fuels, while funding misinformation in the media.

“Sponsoring educational and cultural organisations is a cheap and effective means of improving their public image while continuing to destroy the earth.

“The decision by Edinburgh Science to drop fossil fuel sponsorship is an important and necessary step for upholding their scientific integrity.”

Climate change campaigners have been calling for organisations to cut their ties with fossil fuel companies regarding their overwhelming contribution to the climate crisis.

Ric Lander, Friends of the Earth Scotland said:

“Leading Scottish organisations are cutting their ties with oil, gas and coal companies because they can see that fossil fuel extractors are exacerbating the climate crisis. We urgently need big oil to get out of the way if we’re to secure a just transition to a zero carbon Scotland.

“As the first Scottish cultural organisation to explicitly reject fossil fuel funding, Edinburgh Science have made a crucial contribution to Scotland’s fight for climate justice.

“Anyone concerned about climate change should take heart from the Edinburgh Science Festival’s brave stand against fossil fuel pollution.”

“Campaigners attention will naturally be drawn to the Scottish Parliament role, including the Parliament pension funds’ investments in fossil fuels, and how the forthcoming Scottish National Investment Bank could be fossil free.”

Science Festival Protest credit Friends of the Earth