The petition is addressed to Pensions Minister Torsten Bell and follows on from the actors’ trade union pension announcing last year that its £130 million fund would exclude fossil fuel investments.
The petition has also been signed by comedian BAFTA Rising Star Nominee Nabhaan Rizwaan, Game of Thrones actor Carice Van Houten, Netflix stars Alex Lawther and Bessie Carter, Charity Wakefield and Jo Vanderham.
A coalition of more than 30 charities and trade unions are calling on the Pensions Minister to act urgently to protect savers’ retirements, boost economic growth, and support the switch to a more sustainable economy.
That would include reforms to help people save more, incentivising pension funds to invest more in the UK economy, and phasing out investment in fossil fuels and other highly polluting sectors.
The campaign comes as the UK government undertakes the biggest review of the pensions system in a generation, and hopes that the government will use the opportunity to deliver better outcomes for savers and pensioners, the economy and the environment.
Richard Curtis sums up the issues the petition is campaigning about: “Greener, fairer pensions are our superpower to protect the future for all generations. We need our leaders to put British savers and climate safety at the heart of the pensions reforms, to make sure our pension money is safely invested and part of creating a thriving planet to live on.
“There’s no point inheriting a pension in a world on fire.”
The petition, addressed to Pensions Minister Torsten Bell, calls for the government to:
- Deliver decent pensions for all.
- Fund a just transition to a thriving low-carbon economy.
- Phase out investment in fossil fuels, deforestation and other harmful industries.
This is the latest effort from celebrities to raise the profile of greener pensions, with the actors’ trade union Equity last year announcing that their £130 million pension fund would exclude fossil fuel investments.
Stars including Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman and Ambika Mod have fronted viral campaigns calling attention to UK pension investments in fossil fuels and deforestation.
The UK has one of the biggest pension systems in the world, but only a small percentage is invested in the UK economy.
The coalition behind the new campaign argue that changing this could boost economic growth and support other government priorities, including the switch to clean and affordable energy and upgrading the UK’s housing stock.
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At the same time, the review of the pensions system presents an opportunity to phase out investment in more harmful sectors. An estimated £88 billion of pension funds are still invested in coal, oil and gas, while a further £300 billion is invested in companies linked to deforestation.
Actor Alex Lawther, one of BAFTA’s former Breakthrough Brits, adds: “We all need to know that we’re going to have at least two things to live on when we get to retirement – enough money and a safe planet. Our pensions can support that if they’re invested in things like clean energy and upgrading our homes.
“Right now, billions of pounds of our money is still propping up the fossil fuel industry, which is causing extreme weather like floods and storms. This campaign is about telling the government that we want our money to be building a safe future instead.”
