Police were called to remove a group of people peacefully praying in the lobby of the National Australia Bank’s headquarters in Sydney on Wednesday morning.
People from Muslim, Christian and Buddhist faiths prayed and meditated for an hour calling on the bank stop funding fossil fuel projects, starting by ruling out any further funding of Whitehaven Coal’s climate-wrecking coal expansion plans.
People from Muslim, Christian and Buddhist faiths prayed and meditated for an hour calling on the bank stop funding fossil fuel projects, starting by ruling out any further funding of Whitehaven Coal’s climate-wrecking coal expansion plans.
The group is urging NAB’s CEO Ross McEwan to publicly rule out finance for coal, starting with Whitehaven Coal as the company is seeking a renewal of NAB’s $110 million debt facility by the middle of the year.
Protestors refused requests to leave by NAB management and police were called. Thirteen police arrived at the site and removed the protestors.
A group of supporters were also gathered outside the bank in meditation to support those gathered inside.
Rev. Dr. Chris Walker, a retired Uniting Church Minister said, “My concern about climate change arises from my Christian faith in God the Creator who calls us to care for and appreciate creation. It is imperative that action be taken now before it is too late to prevent serious climate warming and the devastating effects that it is already bringing.
Coal is the worst offender. Coal export is Australia’s biggest contribution to the global climate crisis. We, people of faith, are distressed by NAB’s stubborn financing of fossil fuel extraction. All of us, wherever we live, will be subject to the negative consequences of climate change, yet it is people who have contributed least to the problem that are suffering the consequences most.
Today we are joining with the Move Beyond Coal movement to call on Ross McEwan, NAB’s CEO, to explicitly rule out funding for companies like Whitehaven Coal – a company that has no transition plan, no climate policy and, if financed, their plans would lead to further climate catastrophe.”
Peaceful protests against NAB have been going across the country for the past 9 days.This pray-in was part of a national mobilisation, with almost 50 actions across the country calling on NAB to keep their climate commitments and rule out funding for any company that is expanding the coal industry.
Actions have taken place at branches across Australia, at AFL matches, highlighting NAB’s sponsorship of the AFL and in communities. They were demanding NAB stop funding climate wrecking coal mines in response to the release of the latest IPCC report calling on the world to do ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ to pull back from the brink of irreversible damage.
Media contact: Manjot 0412 729 641; mxnjotkaur@gmail.com
For more details about the campaign visit – https://www.movebeyondcoal.com/
Background:
Whitehaven Coal is one of the largest coal-only mining companies in Australia. Whitehaven Coal has plans to double its coal production by 2030 primarily through three major new coal projects: Winchester South in Central Queensland, Vickery in Northern NSW, and Narrabri South. If developed Whitehaven’s coal mining expansion plans would unleash almost 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent of almost twice Australia’s total annual emissions.
NAB has loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to Whitehaven Coal, including most recently a loan of $110 million in 2020. Since January 2016, NAB has loaned $9.5 billion to fossil fuels. NAB has a goal to align with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and the International Energy Agency has said there can be no new fossil fuel projects to ensure we limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Fahimah Badrulhisham, a Muslim architect who will join the pray-in congregation said,
“I am currently observing Ramadan, a month where Muslims fast during the day to cleanse our body, mind and spirit. It is also the month where we remember and help the less fortunate, and level up our efforts in seeking justice. Which is why today, in this holy month, I am standing with Pacific Islanders, young people and climate-vulnerable communities of the Global South by taking a stand against NAB. The bank continues to expand the coal industry while selling the public an image of a community focussed, climate-friendly bank.
Their website says their ‘climate ambition is to act as a catalyst for climate action.’ Yet in 2022, NAB donated $6.49 million to disaster relief, but they made $10.99 million in fossil fuel expansion fees. For too long NAB has portrayed themselves in their shiny advertisements that they are a force for good in the community – more than money is their warm and fuzzy slogan. What they don’t tell their customers is they are also profiteering off fossil fuels. The time has come to choose a side, and NAB must choose a safe climate and stop funding coal expansion. They can start by closing the corporate finance loophole in their climate policy and not giving another dollar to Whitehaven Coal.”
