Extinction Rebellion camp outside Barclays

The protestors claim the bank’s climate targets fall short of UN standards

Climate protestors from Extinction Rebellion (XR) have camped outside the Barclays branch in Oxford, condemning the bank’s climate policy.

Barclays is holding its annual meeting in Manchester, with XR claiming its policy does not align with UN requirements.

They say the bank’s aim to reduce financed emissions by 15% by 2025 falls short of the UN’s need for fossil fuel divestment to begin immediately.

XR has stated repeatedly that it will continue to target the UK financial sector for its support of fossil fuel giants.

Barclays has committed to becoming net zero by 2050.

The bank refused to comment directly on the protest but provided a statement on climate change: “In March 2020 we were one of the first banks to set an ambition to become net zero by 2050, across all of our direct and indirect emissions and we committed to align all of our financing activities with the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement.

“We have also provided over £60 billion of green financing and we are investing our own capital – £175 million – into innovative, green start-ups.”

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