RBC grilled over climate, fossil fuel loans and Indigenous rights at AGM – Canada’s National Observer
April 12th 2024
RBC faced tougher opposition than ever as dozens of Indigenous leaders, climate activists and their allies from across North America descended on Toronto to confront CEO David McKay on the bank’s role in fuelling the climate crisis.
On a rain-soaked Thursday morning, the constellation of advocates gathered to protest RBC’s continued backing for fossil fuel projects. They included Wet’suwet’en leadership fighting the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern British Columbia, organizers in the Gulf Coast fighting a petrochemical boom, a citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia, and others.
They filed unobstructed into a large room at the Toronto Congress Centre for the bank’s annual general meeting. Two years ago, Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership challenged RBC execs virtually after the bank abruptly cancelled the in-person AGM and last year, RBC wouldn’t let the chiefs into the same room, leading to accusations of racist segregation.
