Princeton University and BP have agreed to end their long-running collaboration on the Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI), one of the University’s most prominent climate research programs.
The decision will bring to a close a partnership that began in 2000 and has produced influential research on pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Stephen Pacala, CMI’s director, confirmed that the current five-year agreement with BP will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2025. “It has produced remarkable and influential work on solutions to the carbon and climate problem,” he said. “But the world is very different from what it was 25 years ago. Neither party now seeks its continuation.”
Funding Shift Amid Changing Landscape
CMI, housed within the High Meadows Environmental Institute, has carried out pioneering work on alternative fuels, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and strategies to reach net-zero by mid-century. While BP provided financial support, Princeton researchers directed how funding was allocated.
Professor Jonathan Levine, a lead investigator, said much of the work will continue under new sources of support: “The work currently supported by BP will remain a central pillar in many of our research groups, but supported by other funding in the new year.”
The end of the partnership underscores a shifting landscape for climate research funding. In recent years, BP’s ties to Princeton drew scrutiny from lawmakers and student activists, especially after the University’s 2022 decision to divest from fossil fuels.
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A 2024 Congressional investigation suggested the oil major had leveraged the relationship to promote policies favorable to its business strategy, including CCUS and hydrogen.
The decision also coincides with broader federal cuts to climate research funding. In June, the US Department of Commerce announced it would discontinue roughly $4 million in grants to Princeton, citing misalignment with administration priorities.
CMI lists 19 principal investigators and more than 50 research staff and students. Levine acknowledged that some positions may not be renewed, but emphasized that Princeton aims to secure new sponsorship to sustain the program’s work.
“In the long term, we aim to find another sponsor for this critical research,” he said.
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