LONDON, UK – A recent report by World Animal Protection UK revealed that major UK banks are falling short when it comes to considering animal welfare policies. The report, titled ‘Banking on Welfare,’ gave five of the largest banks a score of 0 percent on animal welfare. However, a few banks such as Triodos, Standard Chartered, and The Co-operative Bank scored higher, although none of them have a dedicated animal welfare policy.
According to the report, the banks that made no mention of animal welfare in any policies were Santander, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, and Barclays. Another report published by Feedback Global found that these five banks, along with NatWest, collectively financed 55 of the world’s largest livestock companies to the tune of USD $77 billion between 2015 and 2022.
The survey conducted by World Animal Protection UK also revealed that three in five UK consumers want all banks to have an animal welfare policy, while nearly half of the people polled said they would change banks to ensure their money is not used in investments that may be cruel to animals.
Triodos took the top spot in the analysis with a score of 86 percent, although the report notes that they still have work to do on farming and would benefit from having a dedicated animal welfare policy. Without specific animal welfare policies, customers’ money, including pension pots, insurance premiums, and bank deposits, are likely funding animal cruelty.
In conclusion, the report highlights the lack of consideration for animal welfare policies by major UK banks, raising awareness about the importance of such policies to UK consumers. This has sparked a call for banks to put in place dedicated animal welfare policies to prevent investments in animal cruelty.