How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist

The report analyzes the 'petroganda' strategies of oil companies like Equinor, Shell, and BP, focusing on their use of community 'gifts' and cultural sponsorships to build social legitimacy and silence critics. It highlights specific cases in Norway and Brazil, such as the First Lego League and the Rouanet Youth Program, and discusses resistance strategies including civil disobedience and the 'Petroganda Prize'.

• Fossil fuel companies employ 'petroganda'—the use of sponsorships for children's activities, community events, and culture—to improve their reputations and secure social acceptance, particularly in oil-producing nations like Norway and Brazil.
• In Norway, Equinor's sponsorship of community events (folkefests) functions as a 'gift' that creates a social obligation of gratitude, making it difficult for local citizens to criticize the company without being perceived as 'whining' or 'ungrateful'.
• Equinor has spent approximately 833 million NOK (about 83 million USD) on sponsorships across sports, culture, and STEM education over a five-year period.
• In Brazil, the lack of public cultural funding and the existence of the Rouanet Law—which allows companies to redirect up to 4% of income tax to cultural projects—create a gap that oil companies like Shell and Petrobras use to build emotional ties with the population.
• Shell's cultural investments in Brazil are heavily concentrated in the wealthiest regions; in 2024, 82.5% of its R$ 84.5 million allocation under the Rouanet Law went to the Southeast region.
• Oil companies have used sponsorships of science museums to influence content and align themselves with climate science despite histories of denial. Examples include Shell's partnerships with the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (2009–2021) and the London Science Museum (2005–2023).
• The BP Portrait Award (1989–2022) allowed BP to be viewed as a major philanthropist in the UK, while the company maintained a non-disparagement clause with the National Portrait Gallery to control its image.
• Resistance movements in Norway, such as Folk Mot Fossilmakta, have found that 'unignorable civil disobedience' and the involvement of respected voices (like professional athletes) are more effective at creating public debate than traditional protests.
• Klimakultur established the 'Petroganda Prize' in October 2025 to highlight the hypocrisy of fossil fuel sponsorships, naming Equinor's funding of the Norwegian Red Cross and Norwegian Refugee Council as a primary example of 'fossil-funded humanitarianism'.

APA

Forchhammer, J., Eggen, E., Macintyre, C., Joshi, K., Ricci, B., & Aguilera, J. (2025). How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist. Klimakultur. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/04xd4o0c/the-help-report-by-klimakultur-2025.pdf

Chicago

Forchhammer, Julie, Erlend Eggen, Calum Macintyre, Ketan Joshi, Beatriz Ricci, and Juliana Aguilera. How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist. Klimakultur, 2025. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/04xd4o0c/the-help-report-by-klimakultur-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Forchhammer |first1=Julie |last2=Eggen |first2=Erlend |last3=Macintyre |first3=Calum |last4=Joshi |first4=Ketan |last5=Ricci |first5=Beatriz |last6=Aguilera |first6=Juliana |title=How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist |publisher=Klimakultur |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.klimakultur.no/media/04xd4o0c/the-help-report-by-klimakultur-2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forchhammer2025how, author = {Forchhammer, Julie and Eggen, Erlend and Macintyre, Calum and Joshi, Ketan and Ricci, Beatriz and Aguilera, Juliana}, title = {{How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist}}, institution = {Klimakultur}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.klimakultur.no/media/04xd4o0c/the-help-report-by-klimakultur-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }