UPDATE (May 16): The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development has officially summoned bank CEOs to appear before them on June 13!
The CEOs initially declined the invitation to answer questions related to the committee’s investigation into the environmental and climate impacts of the financial system and want to send a representative of their industry association instead. As an ExxonMobil lobbyist admitted on video during an undercover Greenpeace operation, companies send industry association representatives to political hearings to be “whipping boys” so their CEOs don’t have to answer tough questions.
It’s great news that the committee has heard our call and summoned the CEOs to testify. Now we need your help to convince committee members to ask tough questions on our behalf.
Contact Environment Committee Chair Francis Scarpaleggia at 613-995-8281 or <[email protected]> and ask him to demand real answers on what the banks are doing to address their climate-wrecking financial practices.
This hearing comes at a critical moment:
- All of Canada’s big banks committed to be ‘net zero’ in 2021, yet are still amongst the largest funders of fossil fuels in the world and are under-investing in renewable energy.
- Canada’s Competition Bureau is investigating RBC for greenwashing.
- Headlines like RBC faces questions on climate, Indigenous rights at annual general meeting and BMO dropped anti-coal policy, avoiding energy ‘boycotter’ label in West Virginia illustrate how banks are being challenged to show that their climate commitments are more than just hot air.
We’re at a critical moment for our climate. Every dollar spent on fossil fuels is a dollar too much.
Bank CEOs are amongst the highest paid people in the country and they should be prepared to be held accountable for their decisions. It is vital that CEOs appear and answer questions from our elected representatives – under oath if necessary – so please contact the committee and urge them to use the power they hold on our behalf to summon the bankers and force them to answer for those decisions.
We can’t hit our climate goals unless they stop funding climate chaos!
Contact Environment Committee Chair Francis Scarpaleggia at 613-995-8281 or <[email protected]> and ask him to demand real answers on what the banks are doing to address their climate-wrecking financial practices.
Discussion
It is time for all of us, including corporate banks, to be held accountable for our choices and their impact on greenhouse gas pollution as a product of human habitation. Too often self-interest, along with a distorted focus on short term benefits are resulting in predicted and escalating climate calamities. You have a duty of care for which you will be accountable for even after it is too late. I urge you to carefully consider our options.
We can’t hit our climate goals unless bankers stop funding climate chaos!
Stop funding big oil in their push to make more plastic!
Bankers need to be forced to stop financing big oil. This is crucial.
For the sake of future generations of all species we share this wonderful planet with, we need to address the problems of climate change and various sources of pollution as soon as possible.
Stop funding polluters fund renewable.
The hypocrisy of the banking industry, carbon trading industry and fossil fuels managers is not only sickening but is leading us to global systems collapse that will affect all of us i- ncluding the CEOs.
This is a failure to see your own long term financial future. There is no business to be done on a dead planet. Why not change your ratio and fund green energy? I have recently sold my RBC shares because of the ongoing dirty energy funding. I’m looking for good visionary banks that can clearly see the future and have better opportunites for growth.
Excellent strategy: to hold individuals accountable. RBC CEO Dave McKay wanted. Undercover investigation’s work!
Act like you care for the only planet that is our home.
Courage
Investing in fossil fuels & producing plastic is knowingly polluting our own habitat, killing biodiversity and directly causing health complications and death. There is no justification to continue to do so. Shame on anybody benefiting from expanding fossil fuels and plastic production.
It is evident to me and the countless others that see by your actions that you value money over anything. This is truly pathetic the fact that you can’t see that you are destroying this planet and although you will be gone from this world and others will take all your dirty money it will be your future ancestors that will suffer the consequences of your decisions! Shame on your soul.
It is time banks stopped supporting projects that make global warming worse. Have enough people not already been harmed or killed by climate disasters?
This is a failure to see your own long term financial future. There is no business to be done on a dead planet. Why not change your ratio and fund green energy? A few years ago, we pulled our entire retirement savings out of RBC because we didn't want to play any part in supporting fossil fuel development.
Canadian banks have some of the worst climate impacts of any financial institutions in the world, consistently topping the list of the biggest financiers of fossil fuels. Given the urgency of this problem, I am excited to see that the House of Commons recently called Bank CEOs to Parliament to defend their climate-unfriendly actions. Please, please use your supeona powers to get these guys to defend the indefensible! Don't stop!!
It’s long overdue that we hold those in power accountable for their actions now for the future generations.
Plastic!