Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion used ladders to gain access to the canopy above the Barclays Bank entrance in St Peter's Street, St Albans.
While there they held up a banner captioned “Barclays - funding climate chaos” and let off distress flares.
XR says Barclays has invested almost $145bn in coal, oil and gas projects since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015. They pump more money into fossil fuels than any other bank in Europe. That includes loans to tar sands oil – the most damaging of all fossil fuels.
Sue Hampton, one of the activists, said: “Barclays are arguably the UK’s largest contributor to the climate crisis. Although they claim they are reducing the emissions they finance, the figures tell a different story.
"In 2020, they pumped $27Bn into fossil fuels, including coal projects that run until 2044. That’s why I am standing up here. Barclays have to be brought to their senses.”
Another activist, Claire Miles added: “We are doing this because the COP has failed. It has failed to stop fossil new fuel projects.
"The agreements reached there do not prevent banks like Barclays from continuing to pump more and more money into the destruction of the climate. We want the public to understand that banking with Barclays means more deadly heatwaves, more wildfires, and more flooding.”
Activist Martin Roy added: “Barclays has been the focus of many protests, and yet they are still Europe’s dirtiest bank. So now, we all need to put people power into practice. Changing bank accounts is remarkably straightforward – the banks themselves do all the hard work.
"We call on all Barclays’ customers to vote with their feet. By checking the options at www.switchit.money and moving accounts, they can make a real difference.”
Herts police attended the scene.
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