A human rights organization and a political party are both pushing the Royal Bank of Canada to stop financing pipelines and other fossil fuel projects ahead of the bank’s April 5 shareholders meeting.
Citing climate concerns, the Quinte branch of Amnesty International has sent letters of protest to the CEO of RBC and the Belleville branch manager claiming RBC’s financing of fossil fuel development jumped 45% to $10.8 billion last year.
Amnesty also says RBC is violating the human rights of BC’s Wet’suwet’en First Nation by financing the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their sovereign territory.
Meanwhile president of the Bay of Quinte Green Party of Ontario Lori Borthwick says concerned citizens will be rallying against RBC and its financing policies Saturday (April 1) beginning at noon at the corner of Bell Boulevard and North Front Street with a march ending at the RBC branch.
According to the Green Party of Ontario, RBC management, at its annual general meeting, is recommending shareholders vote against a resolution, asking it to respect the right to free, prior, and informed consent for Indigenous communities, and inviting the bank to set real emissions reductions targets.
