Bloom and Wild is a huge UK-based flower delivery company. They’re one of the most sustainable…if you completely ignore their choice of bank. Bloom and Wild bank with Barclays. And Barclays loan billions of pounds a year to the fossil fuel companies. Yup, those fossil fuel companies. The ones who are fracking beautiful countryside, destroying natural habitats, and accelerating climate change – all on Barclays’ wallet.
Bloom and Wild definitely talk the talk:
Flowers and plants bring a huge amount of joy and delight. But, as a natural product that’s dependent upon the environment in which it’s grown, they also need us to protect that environment – from taking steps to tackle climate change, to being more mindful about the materials we use – Bloom and Wild website
But would a truly sustainable company bank keep its money with the biggest bankroller of fossil fuels in Europe? Definitely not. It’s a bad move for two big reasons. More people are learning about Barclays’ funding fossil fuels, by banking with them, Bloom and Wild are risking their sustainable reputation. And Barclays are using Bloom and Wild’s good reputation to seem green, they’re even featuring Bloom and Wild on their website:
Bloom and Wild MUST pressure Barclays to change bank, and then leave Barclays for a greener bank.
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Why are Barclays so bad?
Behind every big fossil fuel company drilling for coal or oil, there’s a big bank giving them the money to do it. And more so than any other bank in Europe, Barclays are the bank giving out the big bags of cash. $166 BILLION since 2016, to be exact. Yes you read right, BILLION. It’s an astonishing amount of money. Barclays know it, and they’re not giving it up. They’re still pouring cash into coal and fracking, two extremely damaging practices.
They’re funding projects like the Cerrejón coal mine in Columbia. It’s the largest coal mine in Latin America. Cerrejón’s expansion has led to the destruction of entire Indigenous and Afro-Colombian villages. And the extracted coal – 559.8 million tonnes between 2002 and 2021 – has had a massive impact on the world’s climate. It’s a devastating project, just how Barclays like it.
It’s not just specific projects that Barclays fund. They give billions for general spending by all your favourite companies too. Shell, who were behind the Cambo Oil field. Total, who are devastating large areas of East Africa with the EACOP pipeline. And Adani, the Indian company trying to build the biggest coal mine in the world.
Bloom and Wild are running a big risk by continuing to leave Barclays unchallenged. If they really believe in sustainability, they’ll pressure Barclays, and leave if they don’t act.