Haringey environmental activists take part in demo against National Trust

Members of local Friends of the Earth branches are opposing the trust’s links to Barclays Bank, reports Kinga Plata

Haringey environmental activists have taken part in a protest against the National Trust.

Members of Friends of the Earth branches in Muswell Hill and Hornsey, and Tottenham and Wood Green, took part in a demo at the National Trust property of Morden Hall Park in South London last Sunday to voice their disapproval of the trust banking with Barclays.

Activists carried placards saying “I Love the National Trust NOT Barclays the dirty bank”, handed out leaflets, and asked members of the public to sign a petition urging the National Trust to drop Barclays.

Tim Root of Muswell Hill and Hornsey Friends of the Earth, said: “The National Trust preserves some of the most precious places in Britain. Therefore, it is unacceptable that it banks with Barclays, who cause climate breakdown by investing vast amounts of customers’ money in fossil fuels.

“The National Trust should stand up for climate protection by ditching Barclays, showing the bank that it should cease fossil fuels soon, before its reputation and customer goodwill is gone forever.”

The campaign was organised by Bank Better UK, a network of bank campaigners that aims to bring people together and convince organisations to publicly cut ties with fossil fuels.

According to Friends of the Earth: “Since the Paris Agreement, the world’s 60 largest banks have poured over $6.9trillion into fossil fuel industries. Without their loans and insurance, companies cannot continue to extract coal, oil and gas as if there was no tomorrow.

“The loved and treasured National Trust contributes more to the conservation of our heritage than any other organisation. That is why we are so saddened that, despite campaigns, they continue to bank with Barclays – the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Europe.”

Barclays has previously said in a statement: “We have reviewed our restrictions and conditions to financing of sensitive sectors taking into account relevant risk and other considerations as well as our Purpose. This updated climate change statement sets out our approach to financing sensitive sectors and includes new restrictions on financing upstream oil and gas, as well as enhanced due diligence (EDD) requirements for biomass.”

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