OIL and gas giant BP has reportedly been removed as a sponsor of Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympics following a public backlash over the climate emergency.

The company was originally announced as a sponsor of the event in 2020, but it has now disappeared from coverage as the British Paralympics Association (BPA) and International Paralympics Committee (IPC) face pressure to end their deals with BP after the Tokyo Olympics. 

It was announced in January 2020 that BP and Toyota would “share sponsorship equally,” but Channel 4 stated last month that the coverage would be sponsored by Toyota, making no mention of BP. 

In response to a freedom of information request, the broadcaster confirmed that Toyota is the sole sponsor of its coverage, but it did not respond when asked why BP was no longer involved. 

This summer, numerous athletes have begun to speak out on climate change, after many faced sweltering temperatures during last month’s Olympics, as opposition to fossil fuel sponsorship grows ahead of November’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Despite this, BP remained a gold partner of the BPA and an international partner of the IPC up until the Tokyo Games, whose opening ceremony took place today. 

Andrew Simms of the Rapid Transition Alliance said: “Extreme weather events driven by the pollution that is fuelling the climate emergency make sport and their livelihoods unstable at best and impossible at worst. 

“Channel 4 dropping BP as a Paralympic broadcast sponsor should send a wider message for sport to learn from how it once dropped tobacco sponsorship for health reasons and to stop being a billboard for major polluters.”

BP told the Morning Star that the company had agreed last year not to go ahead with sponsorship as part of efforts to reduce spending.

The Star understand BP’s sponsorship of C4 was not extended beyond 2020, with the channel claiming it is committed to the very best coverage