Search
30 RESULTS
-
Royal Bank of Sustainability?
At the end of 2008, UK taxpayers became majority owners of the Royal Bank of Scotland, one of Britain’s largest banks. So, since we’ve paid for it, shouldn’t we have some say in how it is run? Kevin Smith, from the campaigning organisation Platform, puts the case – https://www.redpepper.org.uk/Royal-Bank-of-Sustainability/. In the year since it was…
-
Towards a Royal Bank of Sustainability: protecting taxpayers’ interests; cutting carbon risk
This report has been commissioned by People & Planet, World Development Movement, Platform, Friends of the Earth Scotland, and BankTrack to investigate whether and how the Government should align its recent investment in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) with social and environmental objectives, in particular to combat climate change. Although many of its recommendations…
-
Nationalised banks must go green
Environmental groups are suing the Treasury in an effort to ensure that RBS invests only in sustainable and ethical projects – This article was originally published at https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/30/rbs-nationalised-banks-green. Since the banking crisis last year, RBS has remained firmly in the public eye as the most controversial bank in the UK. Beyond the populist pillorying of Fred Goodwin’s…
-
The Oil and Gas Bank
The Royal Bank of Scotland has long ploughed money into fossil fuels – but now we own it, shouldn’t it stop? Kevin Smith looks at the campaign to get the bank to take responsibility for climate damage. First published at https://www.redpepper.org.uk/The-oil-and-gas-bank/ by Kevin Smith. One of the main causes of the current banking crisis has been the…
-
A green economy could be ours
The government should use its shareholder position in the newly recapitalised banks to push for proactive change from within – This article was first published at https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/21/banking-crisis. In early November, representatives from 20 different organisations from around the world gathered in Spain as part of the BankTrack network to lay out a response to the banking…
-
Banks need to clean up their green act
Before they benefit from any kind of bail-out, banks should commit to reducing their investment in fossil fuels. – This article was originally published at https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/08/fossilfuels.banks. On the same day as it became apparent that RBS would need billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to save it from collapse, the government’s climate change watchdog warned that we should…
-
BP and Shell: Rising Risks in Tar Sands Investment
This report details the range of existing and emerging risks that BP and Shell face from their expansion of production in the Canadian Tar Sands. We believe these risks are significant for BP and Shell shareholders and that investors should question the companies more deeply on their tar sands strategies, and call for greater transparency…
-
Cashing in on Coal – RBS, UK Banks and the Global Coal Industry
From concerns over air pollution and acid rain, to the recent rising awareness of carbon emissions and climate change, coal has been recognised as the dirtiest and most inefficient fossil fuel option. Despite this, coal is experiencing a global boom, with corporations opening new mines and commissioning new power stations. High street banks are making…
-
The Oil & Gas Bank: RBS & the financing of climate change
The Royal Bank of Scotland is covering up involvement in carbon emissions greater than those of the whole country of Scotland. PLATFORM's report “The Oil & Gas Bank”reveals the extent to which RBS-NatWest is providing the financial fuel driving climate change. RBS is more "oil" than "royal", as the bank financing oil & gas extraction.…
-
Fossil Fuel Finance – Divest/Invest
The climate transition changes everything. The next decade will require a wholesale recalibration of how our society and economy function. This creates opportunities to place democracy and social justice at the heart of our future political and economic structures. Platform data research and analysis shows that UK local government pensions are worth nearly £300 bn…