100 signatures reached
To: Newham Council
Newham Council, Divest from Fossil Fuels
On behalf of Newham residents, we demand that Newham Council Pension Fund stop direct and indirect investments in fossil fuel companies within 5 years. We wish the council to transition to cleaner and financially viable alternatives.
Newham Council's divestment from fossil fuels will show their commitment to tackling pressing environmental issues, acknowledging the Paris Agreement which stated CO2 levels must stay below 2 degrees.
Why is this important?
The London Borough of Newham has multiple investments in the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuels contribute to the rise of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Scientists agree that we must reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in order to halt excessive global warming.
Climate change has already resulted in more instances of extreme weather, rising sea levels and melting ice glaciers. The Paris Climate agreement of 2015 committed to keeping the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees celsius (above pre-industrial levels).
In order to honour this agreement, we must move the flow of finance away from fossil fuel industries, one of the highest contributors of carbon emissions. Taking money out of these companies will make it much more difficult for them to continue damaging the environment.
How it will be delivered
We plan to both email the signatures to councillors and meet with those from within the council who are enthusiastic about our proposals. We will publicise the petition on social media and will keep in contact with other London divestment campaigns to co-ordinate our messages and ensure our campaign has a broader impact. We will be having a launch on the 25th of April to encourage residents to become actively involved in the campaign and to show a film about divestment across the globe.