Dozens of Christians, including clergy, have visited 17 Church of England Cathedrals during October to ask them to bank with providers that do not finance fossil fuels.

As part of Christian Climate Action’s ethical banking campaign, people have held vigils and prayed at Cathedrals from Newcastle to Bristol, whilst holding signs to either thank them for making a commitment to changing banks or asking them to do so.

In September, Christian Climate Action launched a league table to show which Cathedrals are committed to making the switch and which are refusing to do so.

The full list of Cathedrals visited in the last fortnight is: Bristol, Chester, Christ Church Oxford, Coventry, Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, Leicester, Newcastle, Peterborough, Southwark, St Albans, St Paul’s, Wakefield, Wells and Westminster Abbey.

Currently, only one cathedral, Derby, uses a bank that is not investing in fossil fuels. A further eight have committed to do so and are making practical steps towards switching banks. 21 are having positive discussions about ethical banking but do not have firm plans to make the move yet. 14 have either told CCA they do not intend to move away from a fossil-fuel-funding bank or not responded to CCA.

Revd Jonathan Morris, who visited Wells Cathedral, said:

‘’As Christians, we are called to care for people and planet. In the UK alone, we are already suffering heatwaves, drought, wildfire, flooding and species loss. It’s time for the Church to stop using banks that invest in fossil fuels, which contribute to the ecological crisis we face. Let us use our money responsibly to protect our environment and promote the flourishing of all.’

Dr Michelle Barnes, of Christian Climate Action, said:

‘The Church of England is making big steps towards reducing its own emissions from its buildings and transport, for which we are thankful. However, the Church has huge potential to reduce its emissions massively through the financial choices it makes. Cathedrals and dioceses have a moral responsibility to choose banks that prioritise environmental and social justice.”

Mothertree has calculated that £10,000 held in a current account with Barclays Investment Bank contributes 2.376 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. Barclays is the largest funder of fossil fuels in Europe. By comparison, The Cooperative Bank, for example, creates just 0.328 tonnes of CO2 each year per £10,000 banked.

We recently published a blog comparing the emission savings from installing solar pv panels on a cathedral to the the emissions caused by banking with Barclays.

CCA is urging people to write to their nearest Cathedral to ask them to move to a fossil-fuel-free bank.