Billboards Urge Wimbledon to Drop Barclays as Sponsors Appear Near ChampionshipsBillboards Urge Wimbledon to Drop Barclays as Sponsors Appear Near Championships As the Wimbledon Championships draw near, billboards have sprung up in London calling for the tournament to drop its title sponsor, Barclays. The billboards, which appeared on Friday, were erected by the campaign group Adfree Cities. The billboards feature the slogan “Barclays Destroys the Planet” and link to a website that highlights the bank’s role in financing fossil fuels. Adfree Cities argues that Barclays’ sponsorship of Wimbledon is “greenwashing” and that the tournament should not be associated with a company that is contributing to climate change. Barclays has been Wimbledon’s title sponsor since 2011. The current sponsorship deal expires in 2024. In recent years, the bank has faced growing criticism for its role in financing fossil fuels. In 2021, a report by the Rainforest Action Network found that Barclays had provided $116 billion to fossil fuel companies since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. Adfree Cities is a campaign group that aims to reduce the amount of advertising in public spaces. The group has previously targeted other major sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. Wimbledon has not yet commented on the billboards. The tournament is due to start on June 27th.
Billboards urge Wimbledon to drop Barclays as sponsors appear near championshipsEvening standard
