Make My Money Matter has launched a campaign starring Ambika Mod to highlight the environmental harm caused by UK high street banks’ investments in the fossil fuel industry.
The advert, which features on Make My Money Matter’s YouTube channel, seeks to raise awareness about how customers may unknowingly contribute to climate destruction through the banks and financial institutions they choose to support.
This comes as Make My Money Matter reveals that the connection between high street banks and fossil fuel companies is often unknown to customers, a crucial point given that UK banks Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest and Santander have invested $556 billion in fossil fuels since 2016.
This lack of awareness is what Make My Money Matter was created to address. Founded by filmmaker Richard Curtis in 2020, the campaign group’s goal is to ensure that people’s money and where they store it align with their values and contribute to building a fairer planet.
The campaign, starring Mod—known for her roles in One Day and This Is Going to Hurt—takes place in a garden centre. When a customer attempts to pay for a plant with their contactless card, the plants around them spontaneously catch fire, yet no one acknowledges the fiery scene unfolding.
The text “Our planet is burning and our banks are fuelling the fire. Barclays HSBC, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds give billions to the fossil fuel industry. Go green. Switch to Nationwide, Starling or Triodos Bank.” then appears on a black screen.
Mod is the latest high-profile film and TV star to feature in a Make My Money Matter advert, joining recent appearances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman.
Update 26.02.2025
Since the release of the campaign, Make My Money Matter has announced it will close on March 7 due to a decline in philanthropic donations in recent years, which it relies on as a non-profit.
In a statement from Curtis and CEO Tony Burdon, the organisation called on businesses, charities, and pension members to carry on the Make My Money Matter movement, ensuring that banks and pensions no longer finance new fossil fuels and deforestation.
“Green your own pension and ask your employer to move you all to the greenest provider. For businesses, look at our climate ranking and move to the best option. Individuals and businesses should switch to a bank that doesn’t finance fossil fuels,” they said.