CLIMATE campaigners took their concerns to Falmouth’s HSBC branch on Tuesday to urge the bank to stop financing climate-wrecking fossil fuels.

The campaigners are part of a national action by Christian Aid to visit every branch in the country to call on the global bank to ensure its activity is in keeping with the Paris Agreement’s target of keeping global warming below 1.5˚C above pre-industrial temperatures.

The group delivered a letter to the branch staff to forward to HSBC CEO, Noel Quinn, urging the bank to phase out financing fossil fuels all together and to invest in clean energy, helping protect the world and its people.

Chairman of Falmouth and Penryn Churches Together, Justice and Peace Group, Mary Bradley, said: “We have sat back and expected ‘other people’ to tackle climate change for too long. We have to speak up for all those people whose livelihoods are being destroyed by climate change.

“Leading scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tell us we have 11 years to save the world. We have to do everything we can to make sure that those who are financing dirty fossil fuels are held to account.

“HSBC has agreed to invest $100billion in sustainable financing by 2025. This is fantastic. But it is still investing in fossil fuels, which are destroying habitats and lives. We want HSBC to use its position as a major bank to lead the way and close the gap between its rhetoric and its actions.”

“We asked to see most senior staff member on site today. We explained the content of the letter to the senior staff member who greeted us, who took all our concerns on board and said she'd pass a copy to the manager and one to CEO. She said she couldn't speak about the bank's funding of fossil fuels but would ensure our concerns were heard.”

The group included Mary Bradley and Patricia Fitzpatrick, from St Mary’s Catholic Church, Sue and Roger Mills, from St Budock Parish Church, Euan McPhee from Falmouth Methodist Church and Katrine Musgrave, Christian Aid’s regional coordinator.

Katrine said: “Christian Aid is delighted to find such support for its campaigns amongst the churches of Falmouth. Back in October, I was pleased to speak at an event at which local people agreed to support this HSBC action.

"This brought together Cornwall Diocese, Cornwall County Council and Christian Aid, to discuss the Climate Emergency and the role each of us must play in this vital fight to save our planet.”

“An HSBC UK spokesman said the bank is committed to helping customers make the transition to a low-carbon economy in a responsible and sustainable way.

He added: "HSBC has stopped financing new coal-fired power in all countries around the world apart from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam, where a targeted and time-limited exception applies until 2023, in order to appropriately balance local humanitarian needs with the need to transition to a low-carbon economy, but only if independent analysis confirms that there is no reasonable alternative to coal and any new plant complies with the highest efficiency standards.

“HSBC is committed to help our customers make the transition to a low-carbon economy in a responsible and sustainable way. HSBC has stopped financing new coal-fired power in all countries around the world apart from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam, where a targeted and time-limited exception applies until 2023, in order to appropriately balance local humanitarian needs with the need to transition to a low-carbon economy, but only if independent analysis confirms that there is no reasonable alternative to coal and any new plant complies with the highest efficiency standards.

"Since the release of the new energy policy in April 2018 HSBC has financed no new coal-fired power plants.”

HSBC UK has recently published a new environmental, social and governance report which sets out its approach to climate change and many other things. 

Christian Aid campaigns across a range of initiatives to combat climate change.

See www.christianaid.org.uk/campaigns/climate-change-campaign