Ex-archbishop of Canterbury urges cathedrals to ditch banks funding fossil fuels
Dr Rowan Williams, who held the post from 2002 to 2012, said he wants to see more Church of England cathedrals switching to 'more ethically grounded banking options' after several recently committed to do so.
Durham, Southwark, Truro and Worcester Cathedrals said they would move away from banks which fund fossil fuels, joining Chelmsford, Derby and Sheffield Cathedrals, who either already bank with a fossil-free institution, or have committed to switch.
Dr Williams said: 'It is excellent news that so many cathedrals have already signalled their willingness to change to more ethically grounded banking options.
'The public profile and reputation of cathedrals remains high, even in a society that is less openly religious than it was, so the standards of vision and hope that they set matter to everyone.
'It would be wonderful to see more joining in this witness.'
His comments come as green group Christian Climate Action launches a campaign calling on cathedrals and the wider church to move away from Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Natwest and Lloyds because of their ties to fossil fuel firms.
The group has already coordinated vigils and protests outside cathedrals across the UK, including Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Bristol and Ripon.
Dr Stephen Edwards, the Dean of Worcester Cathedral, said its declaration of a climate emergency and its Eco Church programme focuses on 'the wider implications of the climate crisis and how we can make a difference across the Cathedral's activity'.
'We began exploring alternative banking arrangements last year and are working to seek the best ethical and sustainable approach to financial processes.
'In doing so we live out our values as a Christian organisation proclaiming the Kingdom of God.'
It comes as part of a wider trend of organisations moving to greener banks, such as The Cooperative Bank, Nationwide, Starling and Triodos.
Adam Durrant, campaign's officer at Make My Money Matter – which campaigns for green finance, said: 'It's fantastic to see even more cathedrals and churches leaving these polluting high street banks.
'They are part of a growing movement demanding better from their money, including universities, charities and medical institutions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
21 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
WHSmith prices 'should be illegal' after selling £4.19 Pepsi
Welsh snooker legend Mark Williams recently posted a picture of a checkout screen in WHSmith, where it showed a 500ml bottle of Pepsi Max costing £4.19. Williams was at Heathrow Airport at the time. Airports across the country are slightly notorious for charging inflated prices. At the time of writing, a 500ml bottle of Pepsi Max from Tesco costs £1.59. Customers subsequently blasted the store. WHSmith pricing should be illegal in general, no clue how they get away with it — Sel (@SA1903_) June 4, 2025 One said: "WHSmith literally sold off their entire High Street business but kept travel hub shops for this very reason. It's like printing money and they don't care about the customers." Another commented: "Smiths are proper cosy cosy with all the airports, word is they mark up their prices by 50% and go halters with the airport the shops located in". Someone else replied: "I paid that in Liverpool airport a couple of weeks ago, couldn't believe my eyes". Another said: "WHSmith pricing should be illegal in general, no clue how they get away with it". Some, however, defended the pricing. Recommended reading: Replying to the previous post, a user commented: "It's in an airport mate". To which he responded: "Expensive in other WHSmith stores too hence why I said general". Airports tend to be expensive due to a combination of factors, including high operational costs, the captive audience they serve, and the unique challenges of operating within a confined space. These costs are then reflected in higher prices for food, beverages, retail goods, and services within the airport, as well as in airline ticket prices, which often include airport fees.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Holiday ATM warning that could leave holidaymakers without cash this summer
Read below for another mistake you should never make BANK ON IT Holiday ATM warning that could leave holidaymakers without cash this summer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAYMAKERS might end up without cash this summer if they are not aware of this banking feature. Many travellers choose to withdraw cash at the ATM when they are abroad. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 There is a limit on how much money you can take out from a cash machine abroad Credit: Getty However many could be unaware that there is a limit to how much you can take out every day The amount can vary so it is worth checking with your provider ahead of your travels to avoid being caught short. Below we share how much money each high street bank lets you withdraw each day. BARCLAYS The bank of over 20 million Brits lets customers withdraw up to £300 per day when abroad. This rises to £1000 for those with a premier account. Barclays said customers have amended their cash limits in their Barclays app then these will apply when abroad as well. That means if you set your withdrawal limit to £200, you will only be able to take this much out when you are abroad. You will also be charged a 2.99% fee for withdrawing cash abroad with your Barclays debit card. That means you would be charged an extra £2.99 for withdrawing £100 abroad. The fee will also apply if you pay using your debit card. Lloyds Lloyds said customers can withdraw up to £800 per day when abroad. However, it warned the amount you can take out may vary depending on which ATM you choose to withdraw cash from. Lloyds customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But Club Lloyds members have recently had this fee waived as part of changes to the scheme. It now costs £5 per month to have a Club Lloyds account after the price was hiked from £3. Halifax Halifax is a subsidiary of Lloyds and also has a £800 maximum withdrawal fee. Customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But from August 1, Halifax Rewards customers will have this charge removed. It comes as part of a refresh of the banking offer, which will see new features added and some taken away. SANTANDER The high street bank said the highest amount that customers can withdraw abroad is £300. The same rate applies to customers withdrawing cash in the UK. This applies to Santander customers using the Edge, Edge Up and Everyday current account. However customers with a Private Current Account, which has a £5 monthly fee, the daily withdrawal limit can be up to £1,500. Santander warned this may vary depending on the ATM. NATWEST NatWest has over 19 million users across the UK, making it another popular bank for customers. How much you can withdraw from an ATM when abroad depends on what type of account you have. For example, customers with a student, graduate savings and teen accounts have their limit set at £250 per day. This increases to £300 for those with premium accounts such as NatWest Silver of Platinum, which offers rewards and travel insurance. The bank also charges customers a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. NATIONWIDE The bank, which has 17 million customers, said current account holders can withdraw up to £500 per day at an ATM abroad. However, the bank warned overseas banks may put higher limits on transactions. For safety purposes and customers may find they are only able to withdraw a sterling equivalent of £135 to £150 per transaction. If customers are affected by this, they can make further withdrawals on the same day up to the accounts withdrawal limit. Customers may be charged for their transactions. Nationwide customers are charged a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. BEWARE OF THIS SIMPLE MISTAKE If you are travelling abroad this summer you should also be aware of this easy ATM mistake that could cost you. Cash machines will usually give you the option to pay in the local currency or in pounds. It may seem like the obvious option to pay in pounds, as it's more familiar and the currency linked to your card. However, by choosing this option you could end up paying more for the cash coming out of the ATM or for the goods you're paying for at the till. That is because the overseas bank will do the conversion to pounds and the rates are unfavourable. However, if you choose to pay in the local currency your card will instead do the conversion which is usually much more favourable. So if you are keen to save cash when abroad, you should opt to pay in the local currency and not pounds.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Holiday ATM warning that could leave holidaymakers without cash this summer
HOLIDAYMAKERS might end up without cash this summer if they are not aware of this banking feature. Many travellers choose to withdraw cash at the ATM when they are abroad. 1 However many could be unaware that there is a limit to how much you can take out every day The amount can vary so it is worth checking with your provider ahead of your travels to avoid being caught short. Below we share how much money each high street bank lets you withdraw each day. BARCLAYS The bank of over 20 million Brits lets customers withdraw up to £300 per day when abroad. This rises to £1000 for those with a premier account. Barclays said customers have amended their cash limits in their Barclays app then these will apply when abroad as well. That means if you set your withdrawal limit to £200, you will only be able to take this much out when you are abroad. You will also be charged a 2.99% fee for withdrawing cash abroad with your Barclays debit card. That means you would be charged an extra £2.99 for withdrawing £100 abroad. The fee will also apply if you pay using your debit card. Lloyds Lloyds said customers can withdraw up to £800 per day when abroad. However, it warned the amount you can take out may vary depending on which ATM you choose to withdraw cash from. Lloyds customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But Club Lloyds members have recently had this fee waived as part of changes to the scheme. It now costs £5 per month to have a Club Lloyds account after the price was hiked from £3. Halifax Halifax is a subsidiary of Lloyds and also has a £800 maximum withdrawal fee. Customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But from August 1, Halifax Rewards customers will have this charge removed. It comes as part of a refresh of the banking offer, which will see new features added and some taken away. SANTANDER The high street bank said the highest amount that customers can withdraw abroad is £300. The same rate applies to customers withdrawing cash in the UK. This applies to Santander customers using the Edge, Edge Up and Everyday current account. However customers with a Private Current Account, which has a £5 monthly fee, the daily withdrawal limit can be up to £1,500. Santander warned this may vary depending on the ATM. NATWEST NatWest has over 19 million users across the UK, making it another popular bank for customers. How much you can withdraw from an ATM when abroad depends on what type of account you have. For example, customers with a student, graduate savings and teen accounts have their limit set at £250 per day. This increases to £300 for those with premium accounts such as NatWest Silver of Platinum, which offers rewards and travel insurance. The bank also charges customers a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. NATIONWIDE The bank, which has 17 million customers, said current account holders can withdraw up to £500 per day at an ATM abroad. However, the bank warned overseas banks may put higher limits on transactions. For safety purposes and customers may find they are only able to withdraw a sterling equivalent of £135 to £150 per transaction. If customers are affected by this, they can make further withdrawals on the same day up to the accounts withdrawal limit. Customers may be charged for their transactions. Nationwide customers are charged a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. BEWARE OF THIS SIMPLE MISTAKE If you are travelling abroad this summer you should also be aware of this easy ATM mistake that could cost you. Cash machines will usually give you the option to pay in the local currency or in pounds. It may seem like the obvious option to pay in pounds, as it's more familiar and the currency linked to your card. However, by choosing this option you could end up paying more for the cash coming out of the ATM or for the goods you're paying for at the till. That is because the overseas bank will do the conversion to pounds and the rates are unfavourable. However, if you choose to pay in the local currency your card will instead do the conversion which is usually much more favourable. So if you are keen to save cash when abroad, you should opt to pay in the local currency and not pounds. Are there other options to for spending abroad? There are several specialist cards that can give you a great exchange rate. These cards include travel credit cards and pre-paid cards which can let you pay abroad without fees or at a set exchange rate. Senior Consumer Reporter Olivia Marshall explains all the options. Travel credit cards: Travel credit cards allow you to spend money abroad without being hit by any fees or hidden charges. But, they may still charge you for taking cash out. We recommend the Halifax's Clarity Card as it won't charge you for using it abroad, nor are there any fees for withdrawing cash. But you will be charged interest if you don't repay your balance in full at a rate of 19.9 per cent. And you will be charged interest on cash withdrawals until your balance is paid off too, at a rate of between 19.9 and 27.95 per cent depending on your credit score. In other words, just because you are using plastic abroad doesn't mean you don't have to pay these credit cards off like you normally would. Always pay off your balance before the end of the month with these cards to make sure that any money you saved isn't wiped away by paying interest. For more on travel credit cards you can read our guide here. Pre-paid cards: An alternative to carrying cash around is to get a pre-paid card. These cards allow you to put a set amount of cash on the card at a fixed exchange rate. So if the rate is good at the moment, you can put money on your card and it will stay that rate when you are on holiday. Just keep in mind that these cards can sometimes have hidden costs and charges so be sure to read the small print.
