London 2012’s Dow Deal Criticised

London 2012’s sponsorship deal with Dow Chemical has been criticised, with Amnesty International set to demand how the deal complies with London 2012’s ethical code.

Dow, also a major sponsor of both the International Olympic Committee and the Special Olympics, will have its branding on the wrap encompassing the Olympic Stadium in east London in the months leading up to the Games next year.

However, its ownership of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), responsible for a 1984 gas disaster in India which killed more than 10,000 people, has seen the deal criticised. ‘Dow and UCC are defendants in a public-interest litigation case in an Indian state court for clean-up of the factory site,’ noted The Independent newspaper. ‘They have refused to comply with an application by an Indian Ministry request of 100m rupees (£1.26m) as an advance for clean-up costs.’

Tessa Jowell, the shadow Olympics minister, told The Independent: ‘Given the allegations which have been made about Dow’s responsibilities in Bhopal it is clear that there are further pressing questions that they must answer.’