Tag: Barclays

Victory: HSBC Climate Criminals vow to Ditch Fossil Fuels

 Published on Friday, April 20, 2018 by Common Dreams

‘Incredible’ News as Banking Giant HSBC ‘vows’ to Ditch New Coal, Tar Sands, and Offshore Arctic Drilling Projects

The development is “yet another signal to Donald Trump and the rest of the world that, despite their worst laid plans, the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close.”
by  Andrea Germanos, staff writer    8 Comments

Climate groups applauded HSBC's announcement that it is moving away from fossil fuels. (Photo: ItzaFineDay/flickr/cc)Climate groups applauded HSBC’s announcement that it is moving away from fossil fuels. (Photo: ItzaFineDay/flickr/cc)

In another signal that “the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close,” Europe’s biggest bank, HSBC, announced Friday that it will no longer fund oil or gas projects in the Arctic, tar sands projects, or most coal projects.

The move was cheered by climate campaigners on social media, who said, “This is huge,” and called it “incredible news.”

According to Daniel Klier, group head of strategy and global head of sustainable finance at the financial giant, the bank recognizes “the need to reduce emissions rapidly to achieve the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperatures rises to well below 2°C and our responsibility to support the communities in which we operate.”The changes are laid out in HSBC’s updated energy policy, which says it will no longer provide financial services for

  • a) New coal-fired power plant projects, subject to very targeted exceptions of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam in order to appropriately balance local humanitarian needs with the need to transition to a low carbon economy. Consideration of any such exception is subject to: (i) independent analysis confirming the country has no reasonable alternative to coal; (ii) the plant’s carbon intensity being lower than 810g CO2/kWh; and (iii) financial close on the project being achieved by 31 December 2023

(HSBC finances new coal-fired power plants inBangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. All three countries are on the front line of climate change and have significant renewable energy potential, a crucial tool to sustainable poverty eradication.)

  • b) New offshore oil or gas projects in the Arctic
  • c) New greenfield oil sands projects
  • d) New large dams for hydro-electric projects inconsistent with the World Commission on Dams Framework
  • e) New nuclear projects inconsistent with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards

The announcement, said Kelly Martin, director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign, “is an important step forward for Europe’s largest bank, and yet another signal to Donald Trump and the rest of the world that, despite their worst laid plans, the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close. There is no future in Arctic fossil fuel operations. There is no future in tar sands. And there is no future in coal.” Continue reading “Victory: HSBC Climate Criminals vow to Ditch Fossil Fuels”

An activist walks into a bank… Climate Actions Across Europe

Photo> Activists in Grenoble, France, demonstrating in front of a Société Générale branch. ”Red Alert 3 degrees C  ..  Sovieté Générale Bank BOILS the Planet”

Over the weekend people all over Europe showed up at their local bank branches. They shared one simple demand: preventing climate chaos = no new money for fossil fuels.

Together with groups and partners, including #GasdownFrackdown, we called for action targeting banks for their role in financing fossil fuels. Here are some of the highlights:

  • In France, over 40 actions targeted Société Générale. People demanded that the bank “stops boiling the planet”. Société Générale finances the Rio Grande LNG pipeline, which would bring fracked gas from the US to Europe.
  • Geneva in Switzerland hosted a 7,000 people strong climate march. It’s most likely the biggest climate march ever in Switzerland. We were there and you can read our impressions here.
  • Protesters delivered the IPCC report to the Swiss National Bank and Credit Suisse. The report acts as a reminder that we need bold climate action to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Both banks fund projects like the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipeline.

55 seconds of collective energy. 7000 participants from all over Switzerland. 2 strong messages: the time has come for ambitious action on climate change. The SNB must divest from fossil fuels. #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/tKC5at6Q8x

— Climate Alliance Switzerland (@climalliancech) October 16, 2018

  • Barclays was the target in Oxford, UK, where Oxford residents protested the bank’s involvement in fracking.

Activists reading out their demands in the Barclays Oxford branch.

  • The European Investment Bank got a surprise visit by climate justice activists in Lisbon, Portugal. They carried a symbolic pipeline through the city, in protest of a 160 km long gas pipeline, financially supported by the European Commission. In Belgium, action was held at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Activists carrying pipeline pieces that read “Gas is as natural as mass extinction”.

  • An Italian customer of Intesa Sanpaolo had enough and closed his account. He protests over the bank’s investment into the Dakota Access and Trans Adriatic pipelines.

Banner drops, rallies, & conferences, from Germany to Bali to South Africa! & only the beginning of #GasdownFrackdown!
In solidarity with the struggle against gas, an ally in Italy closes his account w. @intesasanpaolo bank!
The fight is global, but so is our solidarity! pic.twitter.com/ImL60wLMDW

— Gastivists Network (@gastivists) October 12, 2018

 

Feel inspired by what others have been doing? It’s not too late to take action this week: Find all the information you need in our Step by Step Action Guide. Follow us on Twitter to always hear about the latest actions.

‘RobinHood bankrobber On the Run says : ” Let’s change the world..”

‘Robin Hood’ is still on run for Robbing Banks

to support Social Revolution.

His name is Enric Duran , but is known as ‘Robin Bank ‘ or ‘ Robin Hood of the Banks ‘ . This Catalan activist, 38 years old, came to illegally obtain half a million euros in bank loans which he then then divided among projects and anti-capitalist movements .

a recent bank occupation protest aginst mortgage evictions
a recent bank occupation protest aginst mortgage evictions

He was charged with several offenses and failed to appear at his trial. He had requested loans from banks with no intention of returning and distributed the cash to a whole range of alternative projects, integral cooperatives, occupied social centers and revolutionary anarchists. . In all, he performed 68 operations in 39 different entities. With dozens of personal loans , he managed to outwit information systems and financial control.  Continue reading “‘RobinHood bankrobber On the Run says : ” Let’s change the world..””

Barcelona Riot after eviction of Carboneria Occupied Center

 MOBILISATION AGAINST POLICING

OKUPAS_008.JPGThe protest against the eviction of La Carboneria collapses downtown BCN About 1,500 people take Sant Antoni against the closure of community center
The march ends with the burning of containers and ATMs   

What could have diminished the mobilization against the eviction of the squatted social center La Carboneria – was that it coincided with the day of the growing number of protests against the rising price of public transport – served this Wednesday night instead to boost a demonstration that soon became an expression of anger, with many burnt containers , smashed ATMs and police chases and charges through Ciutat Vella and Exiample .

The start of the march to protest the eviction at noon was delayed until after nine at night to wait for the hundreds of people from seven in the evening demonstrating throughout the metro . It was at that time when about 1,500 people gathered in the Plaza de la Universitat and walked down to the Sant Antoni barrio to show their rejection of the eviction, amid a huge police presence .

GALERIA DE FOTOS EN TWITTER de #LaCarboÉsDeBCN

GALERIA DE FOTOS ACAMPADA BCN

Continue reading “Barcelona Riot after eviction of Carboneria Occupied Center”

Barclays to evict amazing Carboneria Squat Center

The iconic Carbonería (La Carbó) is about to be evicted. The property is now owned by Barclays Bank, well known in Barcelona as Butchers of mortgage defaulters.P1050327The Carboneria is an’Occupied Self Managed Social Center’, working on the Assembly system and deeply immersed in the local community.

The eviction will be resisted, and not just symbolically, and a seperate support group http://tobarclayswithlove.noblogs.org has vowed to take on the Barclays Butchers. Continue reading “Barclays to evict amazing Carboneria Squat Center”

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