Staff and customers unable to enter the branch until early afternoon


Putney Branch - image: Greenpeace

Staff and customers at the Barclays Bank on Putney High Street were unable to gain access until this afternoon after Greenpeace activists had glued the doors locks to the bank.

The campaign targeted branches across the UK to protest against the bank's funding of oil and gas companies, Greenpeace claims that Barclays is the biggest funder among banks of fossil fuels in Europe. It wants the bank to switch its funding into renewable energy.



Images of people bearing slogans such as "Stop Funding Fossil Fuels" were stuck on the windows.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “We recognise that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, and are determined to do all we can to support the transition to a low carbon economy, while also ensuring that global energy needs continue to be met. Greenpeace has a view on these issues to which they are completely entitled, but we would ask that – in expressing that view – they stop short of behaviour which targets our customers, and our colleagues, going about their lives in communities around the country.”

On the climate change issue the spokesperson said: "We recognise that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, and are determined to do all we can to support the transition to a low carbon economy, while also ensuring that global energy needs continue to be met.

March 2, 2020