It was difficult not to notice the campaign techniques used by Extinction Rebellion last year. From taking over the center of London to attaching themselves to railings and even going on hunger strikes, their attention-grabbing methods managed to both inspire and alienate.
Increasing Investor Pressure
Alongside the quieter advocacy of teenage activists such as Greta Thunberg, the environment and climate change are now the focus of public debate in a way that has never been seen before.
Weather events around the world that have caused alarm have also helped to put the planet squarely in the spotlight.
After decades of targeting gas, oil, and mining companies, environmental activists have recently started to focus their efforts on some of the big financial institutions.
They hope to persuade large banks, asset managers, and insurance companies to change their investment habits as a result of public pressure.
Wolfgang Kuhn, from the UK-based campaign organization ShareAction, believes that targeting banks is a sensible approach, as they have the financial power to bring about large-scale change across various industries through their investment strategies.
He believes that by focusing attention on a primary source of capital, one can have an impact on “multiple sectors at once.”
Banking on Change
Investors have been at the forefront of climate-friendly campaigns, with shareholders putting forward resolutions at meetings of companies like JP Morgan, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and others.
This has already prompted a response from the industry.