Barclays response
Thank you for bringing the report to our attention, we have read it and recognise the serious nature of the themes in the report and the issues being raised. Barclays recognises that the bank’s major impacts tend to be indirect, via business relationships, arising from the provision of financial services to business customers operating in sensitive sectors. As such, appropriate risk management of these impacts is both a business imperative and the right thing to do. Our newly published Forestry and Palm Oil Statement outlines our approach to the forestry and agribusiness industry, and also provides specific restrictions on what we will finance, as well as our commitment to conducting enhanced due diligence to many projects. As part of our approach, we consider the risks and impacts of deforestation. We continue to keep our approach under review, and expect it to continue to evolve over time. We are also committed to operating in accordance with internationally recognised human rights instruments and principles, including the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our own statement, Barclays Group Statement on Human Rights outlines our approach to managing human rights related issues, including those associated with our clients, products and services.