Extract from ABC News
Deanna Fernance is seeing the impacts of climate change on her farm. (ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
Banks are under pressure to stop financing fossil fuels. (ABC AM: Rachel Hayter)
In December, shareholders put forward resolutions at the annual general meetings of the ANZ, Westpac and Commonwealth banks designed to effectively increase disclosure on matters relating to the fossil fuel transition plans of its customers.
All three boards opposed the resolutions and they were not carried by a majority of shareholders.
Ulmarra farmer Peter Lake, 73, was among the shareholders who attended the NAB meeting, and is now planning to change banks.
Peter Lake says he likes to think individuals can influence corporations. (ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
He said he went along to support the shareholder motion because he was keen to leave his 41-hectare holding in a better state than when he moved there in 2007.
"I'm depressed about our political system that enables us to just keep not doing what we say we are going to do in terms of cleaning up our environment," Mr Lake said.
"Any significant group, but farmers in particular, are powerful if we are united so I see it as an incremental momentum."
Mr Lake is focused on the future of his community and the environment. (ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
Lobbyists at work
Market Forces Australian banks analyst Kyle Robertson said the lobby group was trying to ensure banks in particular upheld their commitment to the goals of the 2016 Paris climate agreement.
Mr Robertson said its strategy involved tracking and publishing detailed analysis of the investments of the big four banks, including their funding to companies with ties to fossil fuel projects.
He said the not-for-profit had been applying the strategy for close to a decade, but it was now gaining greater momentum.
The big four banks are feeling the heat from pressure groups and lobbyists. (ABC News: Michael Barnett)
"It's pressure that has continued to grow from a range of stakeholders for the banks, we are talking about their customers and the banks' own investors," he said.
"So it's all really just heading one way, which is that they are under an increasing amount of pressure from their stakeholders to live up to their commitments."
Mr Robertson said this type of pressure paid off last year when the Commonwealth Bank announced it would no longer be providing new finance to its coal, oil and gas producing clients that did not have a plan to transition away from fossil fuels in line with the Paris Agreement.
He said people were waking up to their collective power.
"They are getting organised and they are raising their voices and they want not just our governments but also the custodians of our money to take responsibility for what they are funding."
No comments:
Post a Comment