Yahoo Finance CBA, ANZ, NAB and Westpac delivered ‘dead dolphins’
CBA, ANZ, NAB and Westpac all received the ‘dead dolphins’ to their CBD offices.
The Big Four banks - CBA, ANZ, NAB and Westpac - were surprised to receive a special delivery to their CBD offices yesterday.
The banks were delivered ‘dead’ inflatable dolphins by Market Forces for financing oil and gas giant Santos, which allegedly killed marine life in a major oil spill.
The dolphins were delivered to each of the banks “on behalf of Santos”, after the oil and gas company faced whistleblower accusations of covering up the oil spill off north Western Australia last week.
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“With the Big Four banks collectively lending over $1.91 billion to the climate-wrecking oil and gas company Santos since 2016, they cannot wash their hands of this oil spill and cover up accusation,” Market Forces acting executive director Will van de Pol said.
“Billions of dollars are still flowing to Santos and other companies expanding the fossil fuel sector. ANZ, CommBank, NAB, and Westpac are actively funding environmental and climate destruction.”
Each of Australia’s Big Four financial institutions received the novelty receipts, along with the dolphins, with the message: “Delivered by Santos, paid for by the big four Australian banks.”
“By financing Santos and other fossil fuel companies undermining global efforts to limit warming to 1.5C, these banks are selling out our future,” van de Pol said.
“The big banks can either continue to destroy our climate and environment by financing the expansion of fossil fuels, or support industries that protect jobs and the planet.”
The Santos whistleblower claimed dead dolphins, including a pup, were found “floating in dense sections of the oil spill” caused by a tear in a subsea hose that was connected to an oil tanker.
The whistleblower also alleged sea snakes “writhed in agony” during the spill, and said they were stunned a month later to read a public statement by Santos claiming the spill had caused only “negligible” harm to the environment.
Santos has denied it was responsible for the dolphins’ deaths.
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