‘Absurd’: British Cycling faces backlash after announcing partnership with Shell

British Cycling is facing a backlash from environmental groups and its members after announcing a major new partnership with the oil giant Shell and claiming it would “help our organisation and sport take important steps towards net zero”.

As the governing body’s numerous critics took to social media to ask whether it was April Fool’s Day, the mood was captured by one respondent who wrote: “Partnering a fossil fuel company as an accelerant to your path to net zero? Is this satire?”

British Cycling’s decision to enter a long-term partnership with Shell was also condemned as “brazen sportswashing” by Greenpeace.

“The idea of Shell helping British Cycling reach net zero is as absurd as beef farmers advising lettuce farmers on how to go vegan,” the Greenpeace UK policy director, Dr Doug Parr said.

“After being booted out of museums and other cultural institutions, Big Oil is looking at sports as the next frontier for their brazen greenwash. But their aim hasn’t changed – to distract from the inconvenient fact that the fossil fuel industry is making our planet uninhabitable.”

A similar message was sent by Friends of the Earth, whose energy campaigner Jamie Peter questioned why the eight-year deal had been struck at all. “Cycling is the epitome of environmentally friendly travel,” he told the Guardian. “It’s deeply disappointing that UK Cycling could think it’s appropriate to partner with a fossil fuel giant. Shell is continuing to invest billions in oil and gas projects, while using cynical PR initiatives like this partnership to attempt to greenwash its harmful activities.

“Tobacco firms are rightly banned from sports sponsorship due to the damaging health effects. The same should apply to oil and gas companies which are