Tuesday, 7 December - At 7.30am Greenpeace activists re-branded ANZ as Australia's dirtiest bank – right in front of its NSW HQ in Martin Place.
The activists scaled 12 metre flagpoles, hung our re-branded banner and shone a spotlight on the offending bank.
"ANZ claim to be sustainable, but in fact, it is the biggest financer of polluting power in Australia," said Greenpeace Campaigner John Hepburn. "We're helping ANZ begin a new era of honesty with its customers."
The peaceful action is part of Greenpeace's campaign to convince ANZ to become a responsible corporate power. We want ANZ to make a commitment not to finance new coal power in Australia.
ANZ says it is "committed to fund only new projects that can be developed and operated according to sound social and environmental standards." But over the past five years, it poured $1.6 billion into polluting coal power and refuses to rule out more of the same.
ANZ is deceiving its customers. Just last month it was revealed that the bank insisted on a confidentiality clause on a secret $150 million deal to prop up Australia's second dirtiest power station – the 40-year-old Muja plant in WA. –This took place only two weeks after ANZ boasted winning the Dow Jones Sustainability Award.
"ANZ has got away with greenwash for too long," said Hepburn. "It can't claim to be a sustainable bank while financing new polluting power. If ANZ is serious about 'living in our world,' it would help if it stopped trying to ruin it."
Rather than propping up polluting power, ANZ is in a position to lead the way to a safe, renewable energy future. Tell ANZ to stand with the Australian community and make a commitment not to invest in new coal power.
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