The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Canadian banks were once again ranked as among the world's top backers of the fossil-fuel industry in a report that showed overall financing rose in 2024 despite it being the hottest year on record. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says the Banking on Climate Chaos report by a coalition of environmental groups found that lending and underwriting among the world's 65 top banks rose by $162.5-billion last year to $869-billion, a reversal of a downward trend since 2021 (all figures U.S.). Royal Bank of Canada, the country's largest bank, was ranked as the eighth biggest oil and gas financier globally with $34.3-billion in new commitments last year, while TD Bank was ranked ninth with $29-billion. The report pegged Bank of Nova Scotia as 13th, CIBC at 14th and BMO Financial Group as 16th, with all of the Big Five Canadian banks showing an increase in financing from the previous year, including a 46-per-cent jump for TD and a 41-per-cent increase for CIBC. Richard Brooks at Stand.earth says the increased financing, despite record-breaking heat, shows Canadian banks are misaligned with climate science and have abdicated any sense of leadership on the issue.