Yesterday morning as staff arrived, Money Rebellion activists gathered around a bed (delivered by bicycle) outside the London HQ of Standard Chartered bank. The headboard displayed the names of 149 companies which they say have received finance from the bank despite being involved in fossil fuels.
In the bed, Bill Winters (the bank’s CEO) was depicted cavorting with fossil fuels while a French maid Rishi Sunak serves them champagne.
The satirical spectacle attracted interest from staff and passer-by, many of whom took leaflets and stickers and engaged with campaigners.
Money Rebellion have had a presence outside Standard Chartered (the third largest UK bank financing fossil fuels, behind HSBC and Barclays) every week for months, and developed good relationships with many of the staff. Yesterday morning, CEO Bill Winters slunk in through a back door after passing the display in his car, but Chairman José Viñals stopped for a quick word and took a sticker.
Money Rebellion activists believe their campaign has helped push the bank into declaring recently that they would not be financing the controversial EACOP (East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline) project, but they still want an undertaking to divest completely from fossil fuel expansion. They are also focussing on persuading the bank not to enter into any agreement with Adani, the massive Indian coal corporation which is accused of fraud, human rights violations and ecological devastation.
Money Rebellion publish a regular newsletter about their research and actions.
