Are you ready to take your knowledge of Fossil Fuel Investments/Lending by Big Banks to the next level?
1) Send a letter to your bank
Our friends at Climate Pledge Collective have written these sample letters to the five biggest polluting banks.
BMO. CIBC RBC , Scotiabank TD
2) Talk to your branch manager.
Here are some talking points.
2) Open a bank account for you children at a credit union. Tell your bank that the next generation will not be supporting their dirty ways. One example is Alterna Savings, which is a full-service institution.
3) Deliver a message to your physical bank.
- As COVID restrictions allow, hold up a sign and stand outside your bank. Take a photo. Wave (The bank tellers aren't the enemy!)
- Use snowbanks to prop up a poster beside your bank. We like using Silhouettes of our kids. "Invest in Us not Fossil Fuels".
- If there isn't snow on the ground, use sidewalk chalk to send your message.
4) Act in Solidarity with Indigenous Women
The big banks aren’t just violating our planet, their violating indigenous sovereignty by investing in projects that trample on indigenous land. This moving and well-researched letter has been signed by dozens of Indigenous activists. Amplifying their voices by sending an additional copy is an important act of solidarity. We explain the connection a bit more here.
5) Email your friends. Tell them why you are contacting your bank. They may not be interested in the environmental aspect yet, but they should be interested in the financial one..fossil fuel stocks have been decreasing rapidly.. staying in fossil fuel investments is bad for the pocketbook.
Learn more: Watch this video by Climate Pledge Collective explaining the action and the larger campaign on January 24th.
Read more here:
- https://www.forourkids.ca/banking_on_our_kids
- https://climatepledgecollective.org/2020/12/19/dear-banks-a-nation-wide-action-on-jan-29/
- https://climatepledgecollective.org/2021/01/21/how-to-participate-in-the-jan-29-day-of-action/
- https://climatepledgecollective.org/bankswitch/