The Co-operative Bank calls on consumers to withdraw their money from fossil fuel finance

Withdraw From This.

The Co-operative Bank is lifting the lid on the issue of fossil fuel finance through a new campaign that urges people to ‘Withdraw From This’ in an effort to tackle the climate crisis.

Produced by creative agency DENTSU CREATIVE, the ad shows a customer taking money out of an ATM. As they do, the walls of the bank crumble away to reveal the journey their bank notes have been on. They flutter through scenes of worldwide devastation caused by the fossil fuel industry, before finally being dispensed into the customer’s hands.

“Do you know where your bank invests your money?” says the voiceover. “It could be logging in the Amazon. Or coal-fired power stations. It’s time to Withdraw From This.”

The advert ends by calling on people to join The Co-operative Bank – a bank that hasn’t financed fossil fuel production for over 20 years.

The ad was captured in a public environment, using world-first projection mapping techniques to stop passers-by in their tracks with striking images.

The campaign, which is running across TV, VOD, OOH, digital and social, positions The Co-operative Bank as ‘The bank you can hold to account’. The campaign will run for 3 months, launching on 21st September until 14th December.

The Co-operative Bank is currently the only UK high street bank with a customer-led Ethical Policy, which means that its customers’ values shapes who the bank finances. The most recent poll of 50,000 customers revealed climate change is still their number one concern. As a result, The Co-operative Bank does not provide banking services to any company involved in the fossil fuel industry.

To support the new campaign, The Co-operative Bank is urging consumers to visit Bank.Green, a growing movement that aims to put pressure on banks to divest from fossil fuels. Concerned customers can use the site to find out more about the fossil fuel investment practices of their current bank, then sign up to pledge that they will not fund fossil fuels by moving their money away from climate crisis funders.

Last year, The Co-operative Bank was awarded the best ESG score (Environmental, Social and Governance) of any UK high street bank for the second consecutive year, by ESG ratings agency Sustainalytics.

In addition, The Co-operative Bank is an Ambassador of Zero Hour, the campaign to see the Climate and Ecology Bill become law. This Private Member’s Bill sets out a plan to address the full extent of the climate and nature crisis in the UK.