Update: are Barclays giving ground?

Remember the giant coal port that mega company Adani want to build at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef?

Well: an amazing thing is happening. People power’s fighting back. 38 Degrees members are joining hundreds of thousands of people from Australia to Germany to push big banks into saying they won’t touch the project. Deutsche Bank, HSBC and RBS have said they won’t invest in the coal port after people-powered campaigns forced their hands. And now it looks like we might be adding Barclays to that list.

On Wednesday, thousands of 38 Degrees members joined members of people-powered Australian organisation GetUp! to tweet an official demand to the bank that Barclays don’t invest in the Abbot Point coal port. And yesterday, the press team responded:

It’s encouraging – but it’s far from a solid promise. Barclays are still one of the biggest investors in Australian coal, and they might just be fudging.

The reef is supposed to be a pristine world heritage site. But the body who manage the reef have said that the coal port “has the potential to cause long-term irreversible harm to areas of the Great Barrier Reef.” And just days ago, UNESCO gave Australia an official warning over dirty industry along the reef coastline.

38 Degrees members can make sure that Barclays don’t invest in destroying the reef, either now or in the future. Hundreds of thousands of us care passionately about protecting the world we live in – especially from wanton destruction by big business. If we pile on the pressure now, we could lock them in to never investing in dirty industry along the Great Barrier Reef coastline.

Thousands of 38 Degrees members are emailing the press team urgently to ask for a full and official statement, ruling out ever funding the Abbot Point coal terminal. Click here to join them.