Bank of America has gone from being the top bankroller of coal to having the strongest global coal mining policy of any major global bank. That’s the result of years of hard-hitting campaigning by Rainforest Action Network (RAN), our many front-line allies — and by you and all of RAN’s supporters in this fight. So, thank you for everything you’ve done! Here’s a snapshot of the past four years.
March 2011
RAN warns six banks, including Bank of America, that we are preparing to launch a campaign, by serving “On Notice” orders to “Cease and Desist” their financing of coal.
July 2011
We announce our Bank of America campaign with a “Billionaires for Coal” protest at a San Francisco branch of the bank.
August 2011
In an advocacy meeting, Bank of America tells RAN that they are “diametrically opposed” to our position on coal.
October 2011
RAN teams up with Reverend Billy and Occupy Wall Street to lead a protest to a Bank of America branch at Zuccotti Park in New York. The People’s Mic says:
We can imagine a world where people’s health and communities come before corporate profits. Right now the country’s biggest banks are trashing our economy, trashing our communities’ health, and fueling our climate crisis. And Bank of America is the worst of the worst. It is the ATM of the companies that are bankrolling the coal industry and they are standing in the way of our future.
November 2011
Over 60,000 customers close their Bank of America accounts during our “Move Your Money” initiative. We launch a banner action at Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, NC.
January 2012
All 85 Bank of America ATMs in San Francisco are transformed into Truth Machines, inspiring similar actions in cities across the United States.
May 2012
RAN re-brands Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium as “Bank of Coal Stadium”.
May 2012
Huge coalition calls on Bank of America at their shareholder meeting to put people and planet before profits. Over 1,000 protest outside shareholder meeting and over 100 are inside the meeting.
June 2012
Bank of America makes an environmental commitment that falls far short of truly solving the problem. Charlotte citizens dump 500 pounds of coal on Bank of America’s environmental commitment in response.
November 2012
Direct action in Charlotte: four simultaneous lockdowns at Bank of America branches. Nine people arrested, including grandmothers Pat Moore (below, right) and Beth Henry.
January 2013
In the space of three days, students disrupt Bank of America recruitment at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Boston College, and the University of California, Berkeley.
May 2013
Bank of America’s Annual General Meeting is dominated by approximately 30 frontline community members, medical professionals, students, and faith leaders. They all call on Bank of America to stop funding coal.
November 2013
Student bank recruitment protests spread to over 70 campuses nationwide.
February 2014
RAN circulates shareholder sign-on letter, begins engaging major Bank of America shareholders in support of proxy resolution calling for bank to measure and report on climate risks from lending.
May 2014
A shareholder resolution calling for bank to measure and report on climate risks from lending receives 24% shareholder support.
May 2015
Bank of America adopts groundbreaking global coal-mining policy.
This post was last updated on May 20th, 2015.
