AFT members’ pension funds total an estimated $3 trillion, approximately $114 billion of which is invested in fossil fuels. Fossil fuels don’t just harm the environment—they create risk in our pension investments. Pension funds have a role to play in ensuring a swift and just transition to a low-carbon economy, not only by reducing investments in carbon-producing industries, but also by investing in renewable technologies and projects, like climate-resilient infrastructure, that create good jobs and address the systemic risks of climate change for workers and communities. Some pension funds have already begun to address climate risk by divesting from fossil fuels and seeking out green investments, and we can take action to ensure that our retirement savings are being invested in ways that help address climate change and promote environmental justice.
More Info
- [AFT Resolution] Divestment From Fossil Fuel Industries
- [Article] UN Secretary General advises pension funds to divest from fossil fuels
- [Article] New York’s $226 Billion Pension Fund Is Dropping Fossil Fuel Stocks
- [Article] UK's biggest pension fund begins fossil fuels divestment
- [Article] Influential New York pension fund will drop fossil-fuel stocks, put pressure on utilities and auto makers to cut emissions
- [Article] The role of labour trustees in driving a just transition
- [Article] Rutgers Will Divest From Fossil Fuels
- [Report] Climate change and the just transition: A guide for investor action