Climate change protesters are picketing more than 40 National Trust sites calling for the charity to drop Barclays as a bank over its environmental record.

National Trust members, staff and volunteers are protesting against the charity’s relationship with Barclays, which campaigners said was “Europe’s biggest funder of fossil fuels”.

The protests will take place from today (29 July) until 4 August.

Rainforest Action Network, a US-based environmental organisation, published its report Banking on Climate Chaos: Fossil Fuel Finance Report 2024 in May.

According to the report, Barclays provided over £17.5bn to fossil fuel companies last year, a 10 per cent increase from 2022 and a total of £182bn since 2016.

A petition with more than 1,400 signatures has called for the charity to drop Barclays and protesters said they were targeting NT properties including Ham House in south-west London, Corfe Castle in Dorset, Grey’s Court in Oxfordshire and Wentworth Castle in South Yorkshire.

“The protest at each site will look different,” the protesters said in a statement.

“While one group is doing a protest parade through the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, another is co-ordinating a punting protest through Bathampton Meadows in Bath.

“While some groups are creating music, with drummers and singers, other groups are holding a protest picnic.”

The campaign will be joined by a coalition of groups including Extinction Rebellion, Parents for Future, XR Elders, Tipping Point, Money Rebellion, Fossil Free London and Christian Climate Action.

Christian Aid and Oxfam have already dropped Barclays due to its climate change record.

In February, the bank said it would stop directly financing energy firms’ new oil and gas projects, after pressure from organisations including charities. 

A National Trust spokesperson said: "The National Trust fully understands the urgency needed to find solutions to the climate crisis and the strength of feeling about this among some of our supporters. 

“We welcomed Barclays' announcement that it will stop direct financing to clients engaged in oil and gas expansion and that it will require their clients in the energy sector to prepare climate transition plans.

“It is critically important that we continue to engage with the banking sector to do more and faster to reduce financed emissions."

A spokesperson for Barclays said today: “Barclays is supporting an energy sector in transition, focusing on the diversified energy companies investing in low carbon, with greater scrutiny on those engaged in developing new oil and gas projects. 

“We have stopped direct financing of new oil and gas projects, have set out clear requirements on our energy clients’ targets, transition plans or decarbonisation strategies, and have a target to facilitate £778.6bn of sustainable and transition finance by 2030.

“Last year we mobilised £52.8bn and while doing so, our financed emissions for the energy and power sectors reduced by 44 per cent and 26 per cent respectively, between 2020 and 2023.”