Environmental organisation Greenpeace has released an animated video campaign calling out French fossil fuel giant Total Energies’ sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup as ‘sportswashing’.
The 60-second film depicts the Stade De France, where the first opening match between France and New Zealand is due to take place next week, engulfed in a torrent of oil raining down on players and fans.
Developed by production company Studio Birthplace, the video calls out the oil company for ‘sportswashing’ – a phrase coined for oil companies’ sponsorship of major sports events to distract from their environmental impacts.
It features mock commentary from Irish comedian and actor Seán Burke, who narrates in slapstick horror fashion as the video portrays oil spilling out of a TotalEnergies banner.
The final 10 seconds of Greenpeace’s film conclude with real footage of the climate destruction caused by the fossil fuel industry.
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The advert ends with the accusatory message: “TotalEnergies and other fossil fuel companies are sponsoring sporting events so they can greenwash their dirty business”.
The campaign aims to highlight how the global fossil fuel industry extracts enough oil to fill a stadium like the Stade De France every 3 hours and 37 minutes – able to fully cover seven stadiums every 24 hours.
Showcased across Greenpeace’s international YouTube channel, the video will run across the organisation’s accounts on various social media platforms.
“We want a complete ban on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship of major sporting events,” said Greenpeace France campaigner Edina Ifticene.
“It benefits no one but fossil fuel companies and deliberately distracts everyone from the environmental destruction they cause and the communities they harm.
“For a safer and fairer world, we must end the fossil fuel era, starting with climate-wrecking new fossil fuel projects, before it’s too late.”
The campaign follows the environmental group calling out other sports organisations for their role in sportswashing. Earlier this year, Greenpeace criticised Manchester United FC’s takeover bid by oil and chemical giant INEOS as a ‘dirty derby’.
Burke himself commented: “We’re way past the point where sponsorship by fossil fuel companies should be acceptable.
“Their cute graphics and friendly animations are just a calculated attempt to maintain the status quo and extend a deadline that ran out years ago,” he said, before warning, “Make no mistake, the temperature rising is fine by them as long as the profits do too.”
