On 15th June Dorset Action on Pensions held an event aimed to give a visual and emotional reminder to Dorset Pension Fund with their ‘stop’ funding fossil fuel companies before it’s too late and ‘go’ invest in something positive for our future messages.
The group are stepping up their campaign because, they say, for every £££ invested in fossil fuel more and more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. In turn this directly causes an increase in global temperature rise, with all its problems for life locally and across the world.
The campaign group says “To knowingly create a bleak future for those who are paying their hard earned money into the pension fund now, in the hope of enjoying a good and safe retirement in years to come, is irresponsible”
Dorset Action were joined at the event by several campaign groups including Extinction Rebellion, Churches Together Ecology Group, Dorset Climate Action Network, local Dorchester Town Councillors and the very moving Red Rebels.
Campaigners handed out leaflets to passers-by who were receptive to the message, surprised the Pension Fund still had fossil fuel investments and gladly took the leaflet home to find out more.
One campaigner present (Julie-Ann Booker) commented that as a member of the Dorset Pension scheme she has never been asked for her opinion on where her money should be invested, “I can’t believe that on the one hand Dorset Council are saying how great they are to have got a £19 million grant from the government to de-carbonise their buildings and estate, but on the other hand they are prepared to invest more than 6 times that amount in fossil fuel companies that are generating carbon emissions at an unprecedented rate”.
Caz Dennett from Dorset Action said “I know it can seem like a boring topic, but it is important to talk about pensions and where the vast sums of money are being invested. In total Local Government Pension Schemes across the UK are currently investing £10 billion in fossil fuel companies (3) and those funds should be used for to invest in and protect our future. Whether you are a Dorset Pension Fund member or a council tax payer, you deserve to have a say in this matter. So if anyone would like to join in a Community Conversation on pensions and fossil fuel divestment, we are holding an on-line discussion next Tues evening. Come along, have your voice heard, listen to others and share ideas to bring positive change”.
Related item: Interview with Julie-Ann Booker
