Barclays backs Prince’s Rainforests Project campaign
Barclays is supporting a global campaign by the Prince’s Rainforests Project (PRP) to raise fresh awareness of its work and build an online community to campaign for an end to tropical deforestation.
The PRP, established by the Prince of Wales, has launched a 90-second online film encouraging people to sign-up to its ‘rainforest SOS’ campaign.
The film features Prince Charles, his sons William and Harry, actors Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Robin Williams, and the Dalai Lama - alongside the campaign mascot, an animated frog.
By signing up to support the campaign online, users will soon be able to use editing software to create a personalised version of the campaign video, starring alongside any of the famous faces in the main film.
Use the 'Sign up and join the PRP campaign' link on the right of the page for details.
In the film, Prince Charles says: “Climate change is the greatest threat facing mankind. Every year destruction of the earth’s rainforests releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than all the world’s cars, planes and ships put together.
“We must act now. Future generations are depending on us.”
Tropical forests regulate rainfall, preserve biodiversity and absorb nearly a fifth of all man-made CO2 emissions around the world.
Preserving the rainforests is widely recognised as one of the most cost-effective ways to combat climate change, but they are currently being destroyed at the rate of an area the size of a football pitch every four seconds.
Barclays is a member of the PRP steering group.
“I believe strongly that the financial services community globally, along with governments, has a key role to play in creating financial incentives for the developing economies to preserve rainforests.
“By showing our support, we can collectively ensure that the Prince’s Rainforests Project proposal, An Emergency Package for Tropical Rainforests, will be addressed at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.”
Barclays Group Chief Executive John Varley
