British cyclists at the Road World Championships
British Cycling has signed an eight-year deal with Shell

More than 700 organizations and individuals have signed an open letter to British Cycling calling for it to end its sponsorship deal with Shell.

The eight-year deal will bring a lot of support and investment to the sport.

It was accused of getting involved with greenwashing after announcing the deal.

It was an "irreconcilable conflict of interests" according to an open letter.

"All sports, including cycling, are vulnerable to the increasingly extreme weather associated with global heating," the letter read.

Athletes and cyclists are vulnerable to the lethal air pollution that comes from the burning of fossil fuels and the estimated 8.7 million premature deaths that result each year globally from that pollution.

It's in the interests of the sport of cycling to transition away from fossil fuels. It's a unique position that cycling is in.

The British Cycling deal with Shell was called an "irreconcilable conflict of interests" by the letter.

Shell agreed that society needed to take urgent action on climate change. Shell wants to become a net- zero emissions business by the year 2050.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit the increase in the global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

After British Cycling's partnership with bank HSBC finished at the end of 2021, the company signed a deal with Shell.

"We want to support our elite riders and help our organization and sport take important steps towards net-zero - things we know our members are incredibly passionate about."

The decision to allow British Cycling to become a billboard for an oil company has been criticized in an open letter.

A group of people including members of British Cycling, cycling clubs, cycling media and academics have signed a letter calling on British Cycling to withdraw from the agreement.

More than 75% of Shell's investment in the UK energy system over the next 10 years will be in low and zero-carbon products and services.

British Cycling has been contacted by the television station.