Six students from Fossil Free N.C. State, an environmental activist group that seeks to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels in the UNC-System, peacefully demonstrated against a Bank of America‘s inestment practices on Wednesday at an informational interview in Pullen Hall. 

Eric Polli, a sophomore in environmental engineering and Spanish, said the goal of the protest was to ask the bank to stop funding fossil fuels and redirect investments toward cleaner energy sources. 

“Banks need to wake up to the fact that we will not stand silently while their lending practices take a terrible toll on our community health, our planet and our future,” Polli said in a Fossil Free press release. 

This protest is part of a nationwide movement by environmental activists to target Bank of America and Citibank, which invest in coal companies, Polli said. 

According to Greenpeace, a worldwide environmental activist group, coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels and the largest single source of global warming pollution in the world.

“Students across the country are calling out banks that fuel climate change through their financing,” said Tanya Godsey, a senior in fisheries and wildlife sciences. 

According to Fossil Free, Bank of America has invested $128 billion in oil, gas and coal companies since 2010. Polli said if Bank of America invested less money in energy companies, it would encourage the utilization of cleaner energy sources.

Polli said it initially took a while to locate the Bank of America recruiter. However, once the group found him, Polli, who was wearing a business suit, introduced himself. 

“He asked if I was applying for a job,” Polli said. “I said ‘no, I’m here on behalf of the N.C. State students.’” 

Polli said the goal of Fossil Free before handing the recruiter a letter to take back to Bank of America. The letter detailed Fossil Free’s mission and requested that the bank stop financing climate chaos. 

“It is well past time for your bank to fund a livable future for our generation instead of the fossil fuel energy,” the letter said. 

Polli said the recruiter barely reacted, and that the entire conversation lasted about one minute. 

“He just read the letter and was like, ‘Okay, I’ll deliver it,’” Polli said. “We were kind of concerned.”

Nevertheless, Polli got the recruiter’s business card and is planning on following up with him next week. He said if Bank of America sends additional representatives to N.C. State’s campus in the future, Fossil Free plans to protest there as well. 

Polli said Wednesday’s protest was organized in coordination with Rainforest Action Network, a San Francisco-based environmental activist group, which seeks to ensure corporate profits never come at the expense of the population or environment. RAN has previously targeted a wide swath of companies, including Disney and Home Depot. 

Bank of America representatives could not be reached for comment.