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http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/09/science-museum-former-head-gives-greenpeaces-lego-campaign-0-out-of-10

Science Museum former head gives Greenpeace Lego campaign '0 out of 10'

Chris Rapley rejects ‘simplistic’ campaign as unable to deliver real change, confirming his support for Shell’s sponsorship of a climate change exhibition at the London museum

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• Adam Vaughan
• The Guardian, Thursday 9 October 2014 15.01 BST
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Installations on climate change at the science museum, London, UK Photograph: Alamy

Greenpeace is being too simplistic, hypocritical and deserves “0 out of 10” for its successful campaign to make Lego drop its partnership with Shell, according to the former director of London’s Science Museum who gave the go-ahead to the oil company’s sponsorship of a climate change exhibition at the museum.

On Thursday, the Guardian revealed that Lego would not be renewing a partnership with Shell after coming under sustained pressure from Greenpeace over the energy giant’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.

Responding to the Lego announcement, Chris Rapley, former director of the museum, said: “It is all too easy to demonise the oil companies, but demanding this kind of disengagement is just too simplistic. It’s also hypocritical because we wouldn’t be able to live the lives we take for granted without the supply of energy these companies provide us.”

He said a sensible and intelligent debate was needed with the oil industry. As head of the the Science Museum, Rapley oversaw a major sponsorship deal with Shell for a climate science exhibition, ‘atmosphere’, that opened in 2011. On Shell’s website, he is quoted as saying “our relationship with Shell has been crucial to the Museum’s transformation.”

Chris Rapley at Science Museum, London, Britain Photograph: Rex Features

Rapley, who stepped down as director in 2010, said: “It is scientists and engineers like these [at Shell], not the activists, who in the end will deliver the alternatives to fossil fuels and are turning companies like Shell from oil companies into energy companies.

“10 out of 10 to campaigners like Greenpeace for wanting to provoke change. 0 out of 10 for this campaign, in my opinion, which might attract headlines and make them feel good, but does not address the real issues and will not deliver the changes we all need.”

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said in response: “10 out of 10 for Chris Rapley’s career as a scientist. 0 out of 10 for defending Shell’s Arctic drilling programme. Intentionally or not, he completely misrepresents the [Greenpeace Lego] campaign,” he said.

He added: “Most people understand how these corporate tie-ins work, that’s why we won this campaign. Chris’s relationship with Shell appears to have blinded him to reality.”

Sauven said that other companies associated with Shell were now in the firing line.

“Shell’s tendrils reach into many aspects of popular culture. We know Shell has tie-ups in the arts, with our museums, with major sporting events and with popular public-facing commercial brands like Costa and Waitrose.

“This isn’t by coincidence. All these brands bring Shell respectability. They help Shell appear uncontroversial. It’s yet another way that Shell lobbies to maintain its powerful hold on our fossil fuel energy systems.”

He added Lego’s announcement should be “a warning to Shell’s other tie-ups”, but the green group did not say what brands it would be targeting next.

Asked whether the Science Museum would be reviewing its sponsorship with Shell in light of the Lego news, a spokesman said: “External partnerships are vital to the Science Museum, both in enabling us to remain free to millions of visitors each year and in allowing us to curate ground-breaking temporary exhibitions. We’re grateful for support from a broad range of organisations, including Shell.”

He added that the Shell-sponsored climate exhibition “supports our belief that civil society, industry and governments need to collaborate to build a cleaner energy future.”

Rapley also defended the Shell deal, telling the Guardian: “I stand firm on the decision to accept Shell sponsorship for ‘atmosphere’. The agreement we signed made absolutely clear that the museum and its expert team retained total editorial control, and Shell not only respected this, but made very helpful inputs. I could not have wished for a more supportive engagement.”

Waitrose, which has a tie-up with Shell for joint shops and forecourts with Shell, said it would not rule out future promotions with Shell at this point. The retailer’s managing director in 2012 ruled out opening any Waitrose-Shell sites until post-2013 after coming under fire for the relationship, but last monthreportedly opened four ‘Little Waitrose’ stores at Shell petrol stations.

A spokesman said: “Like all businesses, Waitrose is always looking for opportunities to find new ways to provide our customers with the products they want wherever they may be or may be travelling. At the same time, as a responsible business we always endeavour to minimise the impact of our operations on the environment, by reducing packaging waste, CO2 emissions and by responsibly sourcing our food.”

A spokeswoman for Costa Coffee, which has coffee machines and marketing materials at Shell petrol stations across the UK, said the company had no plans to review its relationship with Shell in light of Lego’s announcement.