Wimbledon is under pressure from environmental activist groups to drop Barclays as its sponsor due to its links to fossil fuels and Israeli defence suppliers.
Barclays has been heavily criticised in recent years for its financing of fossil fuel industries, having invested £186bn in the past eight years alone. It is Europe’s biggest financier of coal gas and oil, and eighth largest in the world, according to figures from the latest Banking On Climate Chaos report. It has also been targeted by anti-war campaigners due to its links with companies who provide defence materials to Israel.
The bank has already been forced to end its partnership with Live Nation, the organiser of several UK festivals, including Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight Festival, after campaign groups and bands due to perform at its events protested.
Tony Burdon, CEO of campaign group Make My Money Matter, said: “Barclays is the new Shell and is using Wimbledon’s great reputation to cover up its role in financing the climate crisis. No decent organisation should be sponsored by Barclays, and if Wimbledon is serious about its legacy and its commitment to the environment, then it must drop them.”
Make My Money Matter has issued an open letter to Wimbledon CEO, Sally Bolton, urging her to reconsider the tournament’s partnership with Barclays.
Activist group Brandalism has also targeted the tournament’s billboards and posters in and around Wimbledon, covering them with artwork criticising the Barclays’ partnership.
In one such poster, by artist Darren Cullen, a tennis player is pictured in a pool of blood next to a crater, with the slogan: “From Gaza to global warming, we’re making a killing.” Another poster, which shows the linked hands of a tennis player and a banker, says “Partners in climate crime and genocide.”
Last month, Barclays annual shareholder meeting was disrupted by anti-war protesters. “The protestors’ agenda is to have Barclays de-bank defence companies which is a sector we remain committed to as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe,” the bank’s spokesperson told Reuters.
