BANKS DODGY DEALS CAMPAIGNS
About BankTrack
20 years of BankTrack – Our history
Visit us
Organisation
Our team
Our board
Guiding principles
Team up with us
Jobs at BankTrack
Our annual reports
Funding and finances
BankTrack in the media
Our privacy policy
Donate
2023-11-20 00:00:00
West Cumbria Coal Mine: dodgy mine, dodgier financier
2023-11-08 00:00:00
Westpac takes two steps forward, one big step back
2023-09-18 00:00:00
New report and blog: Barclays' bond with Adani
2023-08-23 00:00:00
Decarbonization: steel not making the cut
2023-11-20 11:26:40
Danske Bank excludes financing for oil and gas upstream expansion
2023-09-19 16:11:58
Société Générale announces leading climate policy on gas
2023-09-15 17:34:10
The number of major banks refusing to support EACOP reaches 24
2023-07-31 14:30:01
Equator Principles recognise projects’ risk to climate for the first time
Connect
2023-10-10 00:00:00
Still bankrolling coal (for steel)
2023-09-18 00:00:00
Barclays' bond with Adani
2023-06-26 00:00:00
How should financiers align with the Global Biodiversity Framework? Five Key Principles
2023-04-13 00:00:00
Banking on Climate Chaos 2023
See all publications
Sections
Banks Dodgy Deals Campaigns
Our campaigns
Banks and Climate
Banks and Human Rights
Banks and Nature
Banks and Pandemics
Our projects
Tracking the NZBA
End Coal Finance
Banks and Putin's war in Ukraine
Banks and Steel
Tracking the Equator Principles
Tracking the PRBs
Find a Better Bank
Banks and the OECD Guidelines
Media
News Publications
Financial Exclusions Tracker Equator-Complaints.Org Fossil Banks No Thanks StopEACOP Forests & Finance Banks & Biodiversity Drop JBS Bank of Coal Don't Buy into Occupation
BankTrack
About BankTrack 20 years of BankTrack – Our history Visit us Organisation Our team Our board Guiding principles Team up with us Jobs at BankTrack Our annual reports Funding and finances BankTrack in the media Our privacy policy Donate
Successes Contact BankTrack
Donate Mailing list Facebook Twitter Login
Home › Partner news ›
Partner News

High Court decision: Treasury can ignore climate change and human rights

2009-10-21 | London
By: Platform
Contact:

 

For more information and interviews, please call:

Kate Blagojevic World Development Movement - 0207 820 4900 / 07711 875 345

Mel Evans PLATFORM - 07790 430620

Ian Leggett People & Planet - 01865 245678/ 07880 652207

 

2009-10-21 | London
By: Platform
Contact:

 

For more information and interviews, please call:

Kate Blagojevic World Development Movement - 0207 820 4900 / 07711 875 345

Mel Evans PLATFORM - 07790 430620

Ian Leggett People & Planet - 01865 245678/ 07880 652207

 

A High Court judge today blocked a request for permission to hold a Judicial Review over what campaigners say is the Treasury's lack of adequate environmental and human rights consideration of Royal Bank of Scotland's investments. Campaigners from the World Development Movement, PLATFORM and People & Planet, who brought the case against the Treasury expressed ‘disappointment' at the ruling and have decided to appeal this decision.

Deborah Doane, the director of the World Development Movement said,

"We're incredibly disappointed with the court's decision not to allow a full hearing on this important case and will be appealing the judgement. Essentially, the judgement means that RBS' profits come before the climate and human rights of people.This is particularly hard to swallow after Gordon Brown's soaring rhetoric on climate change yesterday. We're incredibly angry to see that just one day later the Treasury outrageously argued that for a director of business to take environmental concerns into account would be a ‘burden' and ‘handicapping'. Yet, this is precisely the kind of positive action that the government should be promotoing, if we are to believe one word of Gordon Brown's speech yesterday.

The lawyers acting on behalf of the groups laid out compelling evidence against the Treasury, citing numerous controversial companies and projects that the bank had used public money to finance. It was also argued that as a majority shareholder in the bailed-out bank, the Treasury misdirected itself in relation to the legal obligations concerning communities and the environment under the Companies Act.

Rosa Curling, solicitor for Leigh Day said:

"This is clearly a disappointing result and we have advised our clients to appeal this decision. The government has set up an obligation for all government bodies to assess the environmental consequences of its decision and projects and it has failed to do so in relation to the management of RBS investments."

Mel Evans, climate and finance campaigner for PLATFORM said,

"Despite this ruling, we still firmly believe that taxpayers' money should not be used by RBS to underwrite loans that undermine Britain's domestic and international commitments to halt climate change and human rights abuses. These include companies such as Vedanta Resources, which last week was criticised by the government itself for failing to respect the rights of indigenous people in India; and Tullow Oil, which is involved in oil exploration and extraction on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo where a civil war driven by a struggle over land and resources has led to widespead displacement."

Ian Leggett, director of People & Planet said,

"People & Planet is a network of students and young people. We decided to take the Treasury to court because they are allowing RBS to drive projects endangering our future. This government has given itself a clear legal duty to assess the impacts of its spending on the climate change which threatens young people and future generations. We believe they have failed in this duty, and we will appeal today's flawed and dangerous decision."

 

Banks

NatWest Group

United Kingdom
Active
Dodgy Deals
There are no active company profiles for this item now.

Vedanta Resources

United Kingdom
Company
on record
Mining

Vedanta Resources

United Kingdom
Sections
Banks Policies Dodgy Deals Campaigns
Our campaigns
Banks and Climate Banks and Human Rights Banks and Nature Banks and Pandemics
Our projects
Tracking the NZBA End Coal Finance Banks and Putin's war in Ukraine Banks and Steel Tracking the Equator Principles Tracking the PRBs Find a Better Bank Banks and the OECD Guidelines
Media
News Publications
Financial Exclusions Tracker Equator-Complaints.Org Fossil Banks No Thanks StopEACOP Forests & Finance Banks & Biodiversity Drop JBS Bank of Coal Don't Buy into Occupation
BankTrack
About BankTrack 20 years of BankTrack – Our history Visit us Organisation Our team Our board Guiding principles Team up with us Jobs at BankTrack Our annual reports Funding and finances BankTrack in the media Our privacy policy Donate
Successes Contact BankTrack
Vismarkt 15
6511 VJ Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Contact@banktrack.org
Donate Mailing list Facebook Twitter
©2023 BankTrack
BankTrack is a registered charity in the Netherlands (ANBI) - RSIN 813874658
Find our privacy policy here

Stay up to date

Sign up now for all BankTrack's news


Make a comment

Your comment will be reviewed, before being posted