Churches invited to support call for responsible finance, climate justice

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting churches, ecumenical partners, and faith-based organisations worldwide to support an open letter backing an OECD complaint submitted by Methodist churches in Colombia, Great Britain, Ireland, and partners concerning HSBC’s financial relationship with Glencore and the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia.

The Methodist Church in Britain and the Methodist Church in Ireland are members of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

The open letter is available to read on the WCC website.

The climate justice initiative is now open for churches and partners to sign in support of the OECD complaint (by 10 July 2026).

The WCC has made available a background document about the complaint.

Overview

The open letter sent to HSBC expresses solidarity with communities affected by the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia, and calls for accountability in the financial sector regarding environmental, human rights, and climate impacts.

The OECD complaint raises concerns about the role of financing in supporting activities linked to environmental harm, displacement of communities, water scarcity, and health impacts associated with the Cerrejón mine in Colombia.

The letter was signed by WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, who commented:

“We recognise that banks do not set out to cause harm. Financial institutions play a vital role in supporting economies and enabling development. But no one expects their savings to be used, even indirectly, to finance environmental destruction or human rights abuses, or to harm children.

“Where financing remains connected to such activities, there is a clear need for scrutiny, and an imperative to reconcile this with urgent corrective action. The OECD complaint mechanism provides an important opportunity for this.”

There are more details on the WCC website.