The Perth Festival and the American fossil fuel juggernaut Chevron have come to the conclusion that they will no longer be working together after having worked together for more than a decade. This decision will take effect around the middle of the year 2023.

Perth Festival and Chevron Ends Decades-Long Partnership

The declaration comes after a campaign that ran for four years, during which individuals raised their concerns that the festival was contributing to greenwashing the oil and gas industry. In other words, the festival was contributing to the company’s image of being environment friendly. In addition to this, they requested that the company get out of the fossil fuel business entirely.

Perth Festival Executive Director Statement

Nathan Bennett, the Executive Director of the Perth Festival, lauded the contributions made by Chevron throughout the length of the 18-year association, which included ten years as a significant partner. On the other hand, Nathan Bennett said in a statement that the collaboration will be dissolved after the 2023 iteration of the Perth Festival.

Bennett expressed his appreciation to Chevron for their support throughout the duration of their fruitful working relationship. He said, “We appreciate that Chevron has opted to focus on other opportunities, and we thank them for supporting the Festival to make the arts accessible to as many people as possible.”

Chevron Australia’s General Manager Statement

Chevron Australia’s general manager of corporate relations, Kate Callaghan, stated in a statement that the company was “proud to support Perth Festival in providing audiences with an enriching and distinctive arts experience.” The statement was issued by Chevron Australia says Barry and Mary Humfrey.

In her speech, she claimed that “together we have helped bring human energy and international creative excellence to Western Australia.”

“Bold and brave choice from Perth Festival and one that will be appreciated,” said Anthony Collins, a campaigner with the Conservation Council of Western Australia who worked on the campaign against the alliance. Collins was one of the people who worked on the campaign against the relationship. After working on the campaign, Collins praised the move, stating that it is “one that will be applauded.”

Perth Festival is Under Pressure

“People who have attended the Perth Event in prior years, as well as artists who perform there more recently, have been putting pressure on the festival to cut its ties with Chevron and other companies that are involved in the fossil fuel industry. He proclaimed, “Finally, after such a long time, they have taken note.”

Collins also made comparisons between the ways in which the festival was funded by tobacco firms and the way in which the Chevron business contributed to the festival.

He added that “Chevron, like other fossil fuel companies, is acutely aware that its actions have become increasingly problematic and unpopular.” [Chevron] is “acutely aware that its actions have become increasingly problematic and unpopular.” Chevron is fully aware of the fact that the activities it engages in are becoming an increasingly unpopular choice among consumers.

Chevron is dependent on maintaining a certain degree of public goodwill in order to continue its expansion and produce profits. This is a must for Chevron. Because of this, it is necessary for the corporation to improve its reputation in the public eye by supporting programs that make people feel happy, such as the Perth Festival.

This tactic of “greenwashing” is lifted verbatim from the playbook that the big cigarette companies have made available to the public.

The Subject of a Rising Degree of Investigation

In recent years, the relationship that Perth Festival has with suppliers of fossil fuels has become the subject of a rising degree of investigation. This line of questioning is a direct result of the festival’s efforts to become more environmentally conscious says Barry Humfrey’s Geraldton.

The artists and performers who had participated in the festival the previous year urged that the symphonic production Become Ocean, which had been financed by Woodside Energy, be withdrawn from the schedule.

The International Panel on Climate Change has established a link between the use of fossil fuels by humans and the warming of seas, the acidification of ocean water, the loss of oxygen in ocean water, and the increased frequency of heat waves in marine environments. This link was established after the IPCC analyzed data from a number of different oceans around the world.

In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the amount of pressure placed on organizations in the realms of sports and the arts to disassociate themselves from fossil fuel businesses because of the role that such businesses play in promoting climate change. The primary reason for this increase in pressure is because of the role that fossil fuel businesses play in promoting climate change.

Conclusion

In the year 2021, Fringe World announced that it would be ending a partnership relationship it had with Woodside. This termination was effective immediately. On the other hand, the collaboration was ultimately taken over by Artrage, which is the parent business of Fringe World. Both Barking Gecko and Yirra Yaakin are examples of theater companies in Perth that receive financial support from Woodside.

The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Edinburgh festival broke ties with BP in 2016, ending a partnership that had lasted for the prior 34 years.