Extinction Rebellion Shrewsbury tell banks to ‘clean up your act’
Members of Extinction Rebellion Shrewsbury staged a ‘bank cleaning’ protest at HSBC and Barclays on Saturday, to highlight the role these high street banks are playing in the accelerating climate crisis.
The protesters, armed with sponges, buckets and mops, cleaned the windows of HSBC and Barclays and called on the banks to ‘clean up their act’ and stop investing in fossil fuels.
Jamie Russell, a spokesperson for the group, said: "Barclays and HSBC are the UK’s two largest investors in fossil fuels. Since the Paris Agreement was drawn up in 2015, these banks have helped spend £2.7 trillion of our money on cooking the planet with fossil fuels. As wildfires and floods ravage the globe and scientists warn that the Gulf Stream is on the verge of collapse, it’s clear that these banks are funding the apocalyptic levels of destruction."
During the bank cleaning the protesters engaged with the public asking them to consider switching banks. A survey in January by ICM Unlimited found that almost 80% of Barclays and HSBC customers were unaware of their bank’s fossil fuel investments and that almost three million customers would consider switching to more ethical banks.
Gill Davis, who joined the protest, said: "We’re investing our hard-earned money with these banks to keep it safe, but they’re using it to fund the very things that are destroying the planet for us, our children and grandchildren. If they won’t take responsibility for cleaning up their act then we have to move our money elsewhere. I moved my account and it’s really easy to do. It’s an effective way for individuals to fight back against the climate emergency."
Both Barclays and HSBC have recently been in the news due to their fossil fuel investments. In May, Barclays shareholders voted against a resolution that would stop the bank from funding fossil fuel investments. Meanwhile, HSBC recently voted to phase out coal investment by 2040. However, campaigners have accused the bank of ‘greenwash’ since a loophole will still allow it to support companies that plan to build more than 70 new coal plants.
Mr Russell added: "Barclays and HSBC both boast about taking a leading role in tackling climate change and yet they continue to invest billions in fossil fuels. This greenwash won’t wash with customers. It’s time for these banks to put planet before profits."
