Why are we campaigning?

We’re campaigning against toxic fuels because we know tackling climate change is important to our customers.

The Co-operative Bank has had an Ethical Policy position on fossil fuels and renewables since 1998. Since then we’ve declined over £108 million worth of business that conflicts with this position. In our recent Ethical Policy review, 90% of customers voted to support the following statement:

“We will not finance any business whose core activity contributes to global climate change, via the extraction or production of fossil fuels, with an extension to the distribution of those fuels that have a higher global warming impact (e.g. tar sands and certain biofuels)."

The Co-operative Insurance has had an Ethical Engagement Policy since 2005, which includes a statement on environmental sustainability, supported by 94% of customers:

“The Co-operative Investments will encourage business to:

"Reduce reliance on fossil fuels – which contribute to climate change – and increase their use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

The Policy directs how The Co-operative Insurance and Investments use their influence to push for positive change within the businesses in which they invest.