In recent weeks, stickers have been plastered on Barclays branches across the UK, drawing attention to how the bank is continuing to fund the climate crisis.
The stickers – catching the eye with Barclays’ signature blue colour scheme – appeared on every branch in London, as well as several in Bristol and on a number of standalone cash machines. Activists from Sharkleys aim to alert bank staff to the destructive and hypocritical investments being arranged by their employer.
There are plenty of examples to choose from and these stickers hone in on a few prime candidates.
Fueling the climate crisis
Barclays is helping to raise huge sums of money for the Adani Group, which is behind plans to open the largest coal mine in Australia. Not only will this be a catastrophe for the climate, it will destroy Indigenous Peoples’ lands. Even though Barclays has committed not to finance the mine, it could be doing so indirectly if Adani later shifts Barclays financing to the mine project. On top of this, Barclays is still the number one funder of fossil fuel projects in Europe, despite talking warm words about addressing its role in the climate crisis.
Bankrolling extinction
Like most other banks, Barclays is backing the ongoing loss of biodiversity on our planet. Species extinction rates are currently thought to be 1000 times the normal background rate, yet Barclays has no systems in place to measure the impact of its loans on biodiversity.
Funding global injustice
By backing projects that threaten the climate and eradicate species, Barclays is also undermining the rights of people around the world. Wildfires, storms, floods and droughts are happening more often and with increased severity, hitting hard on the poorest and most vulnerable communities. This perhaps comes as no surprise when you realise that in the not-so-distant past Barclays was well-connected to the apartheid regime in South Africa which operated strict policies of racial segregation.
Have you spotted any of these stickers? Take a picture and share it on social media, tagging Barclays’ accounts on Instagram or Twitter.