Lobby group Doctors for the Environment Australia is closing its BankSA accounts in protest at the company’s continued involvement with the fossil fuel industry.

Up to 50 doctors will gather outside the bank’s headquarters in Adelaide today, saying that a failure to address climate change is “gross negligence”.

The group says it is hypocritical of the bank to publicly accept the need to contain climate change “while at the same time directly fund fossil fuel industries”.

The group’s spokesperson Dr Doug Shaw said health professionals had a duty of care to protect the community’s health and the health effects of fossil fuels were more significant than those of the tobacco industry.

A BankSA spokesperson said the bank did not have “banking relationships” with resources companies.

“BankSA does not have an institutional banking business and therefore does not have banking relationships with organisations in the resources sector,” she said.

“However, we’d like to take this opportunity to re-affirm our commitment and support for our clients who demonstrate high standards of sustainable activities.”

– with AAP