Huddersfield residents tackle Barclays over their fracking investments.
Barclays stop funding fracking
On Saturday 10 October 2015 Huddersfield Friends of the Earth took to the streets to call on Barclays Bank to stop funding fracking in the UK.
Local residents joined campaigners outside their local branch of Barclays bank in Huddersfield as part of an international day of action uniting people around the world in order to stop climate change and the dirty energy that’s causing it.
Up and down the country hundreds of people were out on the streets collecting petition signatures, closing accounts, sending letters, even singing and dancing to tackle climate change and ask Barclays to stop funding fracking1.
Barclays stop funding fracking
- Barclays Bank owns 97% of Third Energy – the company planning to frack very close to the North Yorks Moors National Park2.
- Barclays has a long history of bankrolling dirty energy in developing countries – now it’s doing it in North Yorkshire3.
- This would be the first time that a major High Street bank has directly invested in fracking in the UK.
The Friends of the Earth group spoke to dozens of concerned residents and passers-by through the course of the day who were invited to sign petitions addressed to John McFarlane, Barclays Chairman, asking him to withdraw Barclays plans to frack in Ryedale, North Yorkshire.
Chayley Collis of Huddersfield Friends of the Earth said:
“Almost everybody we spoke to today said that they don’t want to see fracking. Not in Huddersfield. Not in North Yorkshire. Not anywhere.”
“Fracking produces more dirty fossil fuels that will cause more climate change. Barclays’ fracking investment is risky for both people and the planet.”
“We want Barclays to withdraw their plans to frack in Ryedale, North Yorkshire. Instead of a dash for gas we can’t afford to burn we need to get behind renewables and energy saving.”
Barclays stop funding fracking
The Government’s dash for gas could bring the threat of fracking to thousands more people’s doorsteps. Their current plans to punch thousands of holes across the country is at odds with public opinion. Recent polling shows that 52% of people would support wind turbines being built within 10 miles of their house compared to just 18% who would support shale wells4.
Notes
- To find out more about fracking and Friends of the Earth’s campaign visit www.foe.co.uk/fracking
2 Barclays-backed business applies to frack near Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire. The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/11253301/Barclays-backed-business-applies-to-frack-near-Flamingo-Land-in-North-Yorkshire.html
3 Banking while Borneo burns, How the UK financial sector is bankrolling Indonesia’s fossil fuel boom. Global Justice Now. http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/banking_while_borneo_burns_0.pdf
4 Opinion polling for Carbon Brief on 19 August: http://www.carbonbrief.org/media/224340/carbon-brief-shale-polling.xlsx
Huddersfield Friends of the Earth 