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  Divest Staffordshire Pension Fund

  Staffordshire Pension Fund is the Local Government Pension Fund for the county of Staffordshire and is funded through pension contributions from employees of publicly-funded organisations such as Staffordshire County Council, Stoke City Council, the Office of the Chief Constable Staffordshire, Staffordshire University, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and other parishes, towns, boroughs and public organisations across Staffordshire. As of 31 December 2015, the Pension Fund holds at least £61,879,853.16 worth of shares in companies from the fossil fuel industry, including £20,180,703.41 worth of shares in six of the world's biggest oil companies: BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Lukoil, who are jointly responsible for major environmental damage and human rights violations the world over. In total, the Pension Fund holds £42,334,871.79 in 14 of the 90 companies responsible for two-thirds of the global greenhouse gases emissions since 1854. By continuing to grant social legitimacy to the burning of fossil fuels, the Staffordshire Pension Fund and all its participating organisations are complicit in driving unprecedented climate change. Climate change is happening now - we’re already experiencing global temperature rise, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets and more frequent and intense extreme weather events affecting thousands of communities and millions of people across the world. Investing in fossil fuels is not only damaging to the planet, it's also a very risky investment. The Staffordshire Pension Fund has already seen a massive decrease in its investment, losing £21,573,041.12 (or 25.85%) worth of shares in companies such as Glencore, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Lukoil and others. By removing investments in fossil fuel companies, the Staffordshire Pension Fund and all its participating bodies and organisations will be showing their commitment to creating a healthy, sustainable and financially viable future for both the people of Staffordshire and the planet as a whole. Please sign this petition if you believe that the Staffordshire Pension Fund should divest from fossil fuels to protect the planet and the financial future of thousands of workers from across Staffordshire.

  31 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Tomasz Kozlowski
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  DIVEST GWYNEDD PENSION FUND FROM FOSSIL FUEL INVESTMENTS

  Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered, not just environmentally but also economically, morally and socially. In order to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change, global warming must not exceed 2°C which means 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must not be used. Recent research, instigated by the Carbon Tracker foundation, asserts that there are five times more fossil-fuel reserves than can be burnt if internationally agreed carbon emissions targets are to be met. Fossil fuel equities also pose significant financial risks. As governments control carbon emissions to meet these targets a large proportion of fossil fuel reserves which companies expect to extract will become stranded assets: a “carbon bubble”. Funds which are exposed to fossil fuel equities when this bubble bursts can expect to suffer considerable losses. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney has recently expressed concerns over climate risk, stating that the “vast majority of reserves are unburnable” if global temperature rises are to be limited to below 2C (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/13/mark-carney-fossil-fuel-reserves-burned-carbon-bubble) Institutions around the world including local government, universities and churches are pulling out of fossil fuels investments and moving towards a cleaner energy future. By divesting from fossil fuels, the Gwynedd Pension Fund will join public institutions such as the British Medical Association, Glasgow University and Oxford City Council, amongst many others, in leading by example to help create a sustainable future for it's citizens. In support of this movement we ask you to sign and share our petition. Thank you for your support

  89 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Ellen Gibson
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  Divest Dorset From Fossil Fuels

  Fossil Fuels are now proven to be responsible for a large, and growing, number of harmful effects which harm the natural environment, people, and wildlife, and no economic case can be made which can justify the damage being done nor which could support the remedial action necessary to prevent damage being passed on to future generations

  114 of 200 Signatures

  Created by Charles Miller
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  Divest the Greater Manchester Pension Fund

  Pensions are about giving us a secure future. But our future security is fundamentally threatened by climate change. Our pension funds should not be investing in oil, gas and coal firms when we know we must leave 80% of all fossil fuels in the ground to avoid catastrophic climate change. We welcome the decision that you made last year to divest from tobacco companies because of their impact on the people of Greater Manchester, and urge you to take a similar approach with fossil fuel companies.

  10,041 of 15,000 Signatures

  Created by Ellen Gibson
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  Divest University of Scranton From Fossil Fuels

  As a Jesuit University, the University of Scranton knows the importance of taking care of the Earth. The University teaches about taking care of God's planet and this offers them an opportunity to live by example. Until the University divests from fossil fuels and invests in "greener" options, it is not putting actions behind its values and teaching. Climate change is accelerating. We are witnessing the increasing impacts of a warming planet more and more consistently; in this last year alone our country experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, and hurricanes, which impacted hundreds of thousands of people and cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars. Hurricane Sandy alone caused $50 billion in damages. Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years.

  198 of 200 Signatures

  Created by Megan Schane
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  Fossil Free Liverpool University

  Climate Change is an issue which will disrupt our entire planet's weather and ecosystems if we allow it to happen. The effects on society will be drastic and chaotic leading to increased disease, famine, poverty, migration. We want our university be a bold leader in the fight against Climate Change and the transition to a sustainable and fairer society. The failure of the industry and global leaders over the past decades to enact meaningful change has forced the need for progressive action: divestment. The university is a leading researcher in areas of sustainable energy, environment, climate, health, food security and conflict. We want the university to have consistent values in its activities, that it will not endorse or profit from these highly unethical companies. The status quo isn't working and the transition to sustainability is inevitable so let us be bold, let us be positive, let us act on the right side of history and usher in a new better era. Divesting from these companies frees up capital to reinvest in our new technologies, industries and economies for a secure and sustainable future.

  301 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Fossil Free Liverpool University
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  Romans sur Isère

  Considérant que les engagements pris dans l'accord de Paris adopté à l'issu de la COP21, par lequel la communauté internationale s'est engagé à maintenir le réchauffement climatique « bien en-deçà de 2°C » ; Considérant que l'Assemblée nationale a adopté, le 25 novembre dernier, une résolution pour une société bas carbone, dans laquelle elle « "encourageant les investisseurs institutionnels, les entreprises, notamment celles dont l’État est actionnaire, et les collectivités territoriales à cesser d’investir dans les énergies fossiles et notamment dans le charbon » ; Considérant que, dans son rapport « Unburnable carbon », la Carbon Tracker Initiative montre que les entreprises du secteur fossile exploitent actuellement ou s'apprêtent à exploiter des réserves de charbon, de gaz et de pétrole représentant 2,795 gigatonnes d'émissions potentielles de CO2, soit cinq fois ce que nous pouvons émettre si nous souhaitons pouvoir maintenir le réchauffement sous cette barre des 2°C ; Considérant que des travaux récemment publiés par la revue Nature ont montré que l'ensemble des combustibles fossiles présents dans le sous-sol, qu'il s'agisse de gisements exploités, en passe d'être exploités, ou simplement identifiés, représentent 11 000 gigatonnes d'émissions potentielles de C02, soit vingt fois ce que nous pouvons émettre si nous souhaitons pouvoir maintenir le réchauffement climatique sous cette barre des 2°C ; Considérant la campagne lancée il y a trois ans par le mouvement 350.org de « désinvestissement du secteur fossile », qui se fonde sur le constat que certaines institutions encouragent le réchauffement climatique en détenant des investissements directs dans des entreprises du secteur des énergies fossiles, et encourage les institutions à initier une stratégie d’investissement socialement et écologiquement responsable et pour ainsi agir en faveur du climat ; Considérant que les entreprises ciblées dans le cadre de cette campagne sont toutes celles qui appartiennent à la liste des 200 entreprises qui possèdent les plus grandes réserves de charbon, de gaz et de pétrole, autrement dit qui représentent les principales sources d'émissions de CO2 à venir, telles que listées par la « Carbon tracker initiative » ; Considérant que pour réellement initier ce changement souhaité deux principaux acteurs sont prioritairement à convaincre : les fonds de pension et les banques, qui gèrent des portefeuilles d’investissement très importants ; Considérant que les caisses de retraites de la fonction publique (Ircantec, Erafp, Cnrac) ainsi que le Fonds de réserve pour les retraites détiennent plusieurs milliards d'actions et obligations émises par ces entreprises ; Considérant que plus de 500 villes, universités, musées et autres institutions se sont d’ores et déjà engagées dans cette démarche, à l’image des villes de San Francisco et Seattle ou encore de l’université de Stanford, du Fonds souverain de Norvège, de la fondation Rockefeller Brothers, rejointes par la ville de Paris par 34 collectivités locales françaises (parmi lesquelles les villes de Paris, Lille et Bordeaux, les régions Ile de France et Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne) ; Considérant que Romans sur Isère a la responsabilité de protéger la vie et l'environnement de ses habitants des conséquences du changement climatique ;

  19 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Nicolas Haeringer
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  End BP Sponsorship of the Royal Shakespeare Company

  The Royal Shakespeare Company is one of Britain's best-loved theatre companies. But the RSC's reputation is being tarnished by its decision to allow oil giant BP to sponsor its £5 ticket scheme for 16-25 year olds. BP's extraction of fossil fuels around the world is driving dangerous climate change and causing toxic oil spills. The company works with repressive regimes, fuels conflict and blocks clean energy alternatives. 16-25-year-old theatregoers should be able to see the plays they love without helping promote a company that is putting their futures at risk. BP provides less than 1% of the RSC's income. Other arts organisations, including Tate and Edinburgh International Festival, have moved away from oil sponsorship following pressure from artists, scientists and campaigners. The theatre company has the funds to do the right thing without putting the £5 ticket scheme – or any jobs – at risk. It's time the RSC brought the curtain down on its relationship with one of the world's most polluting companies. Many theatre stars have already endorsed a crowdfunded ethical alternative to the BP-sponsored scheme - Fossil Free £5 Tickets. So join Sir Mark Rylance, Vanessa Redgrave, Andrew Garfield, Emma Thompson, Maxine Peake, Tamsin Greig, Caryl Churchill, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon McBurney, Miriam Margolyes, Zoë Wanamaker, Vivienne Westwood, Jasper Britton and many others in calling on the RSC to find a more ethical alternative to oil sponsorship. This petition is being launched by Culture Unstained, a member of the Art Not Oil coalition, with support from Warwick Students' Union, the National Union of Students and People & Planet. To find out more about the Fossil Free £5 Ticket scheme, including getting hold of a ticket if you are aged 16-25 or donating to the crowdfunder, see cultureunstained.org/fossilfreetix

  154 of 200 Signatures
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  Divest the London Pension Fund from Fossil Fuels

  Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, supports divestment! http://www.sadiq.london/a_greener_cleaner_london Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered. Warming in excess of 1.5°C will have catastrophic consequences [1]. In order to have a chance of staying below this temperature rise, 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must not be burnt [2]. The fossil fuel industry currently holds vast carbon reserves which if burnt would result in emissions 5 times larger than what it is deemed to be safe [2]. All available evidence suggests that fossil fuel companies intend to burn the reserves within their control. In addition, companies such as Shell are actively trying to discover new reserves, often in environmentally sensitive regions [3]. If it is wrong to damage the world we live in, then it is wrong to profit from that damage. Responsible investors should no longer be profiting from the destructive activities of these companies. The London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) manages the pensions of City Hall employees (including the Mayor of London and the London Assembly) as well as many other local authorities [4]. It manages nearly £5 billion worth of assets, millions of which are direct investments in fossil fuel companies including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Shell [5]. Indirect investments total £54.6 million. These fossil fuel investments are becoming increasingly risky as the cost of extraction increases and international treaties restrict the use of fossil fuels [2]. Not only does it make moral sense not to invest in the destruction of our planet, it also makes financial sense. By divesting from fossil fuels, City Hall will join public institutions such as the British Medical Association, Glasgow University and Oxford City Council, amongst many others, in leading by example to help create a sustainable future for the citizens of London and beyond. So we ask: 1. The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) to: - Immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies, including those made by externally managed and pooled funds. - Offer a fossil free pension option to employees - Divest from the top 200 companies with the largest known carbon reserves (oil, gas and coal), and shift these funds to lower risk, ethical investments within 5 years 2. The Mayor and the London Assembly must be transparent about their relationship with the fossil fuel industry: - Publish full details of their financial and other ties to the fossil fuel industry - Not accept sponsorship and advertising from fossil fuel companies. - Declare their divestment from the fossil fuel industry in order to encourage other pension funds, institutions and individuals to do the same. References [1]http://bit.ly/1Cp61vN [2]http://bit.ly/1mLPo58 [3]http://bit.ly/1r2Y2Qb [4]http://www.lpfa.org.uk/Who-we-are.aspx [5]http://bit.ly/1z8u53U

  2,267 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Divest London
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  UCL, DIVEST FROM FOSSIL FUELS

  Climate change has already caused millions to lose their lives and livelihoods after only one degree of global average warming [5]. ‘Business as usual’ scenarios see us facing up to six degrees of warming and hundreds of millions suffering. It’s time to take this problem on at its source: the fossil fuel companies. If it is wrong to wreck the climate, then it is wrong to profit from that wreckage. UCL cannot continue to use its funds from students, alumni, trusts and grant-making bodies to fund fossil fuel companies through its portfolio of investments. UCL's academics show a strong consensus on the effects of climate change, taking it into account in their research and making constructive proposals for how we can respond to and overcome it as a society. UCL is giving money to further this positive research yet chooses to invest in the fossil fuel industry, the root cause of climate change. This shows massive disrespect to their own staff, to the future of their students, and to all those around the world suffering the effects of climate change but also from the human right violations carried out by fossil fuel companies. With 1/4 of UK universities now having divested, 16 of which in the last year, UCL is losing its chance to lead the way towards a more sustainable world, proving that management prioritises profit over the protection of the environment, the future generations and the voice of thousands of students and academic staff who support divestment. In the ultimatum letter we sent to management in November 2016 we received more than 100 signatures from academic staff who support divestment [6]. How long will management keep disregarding the views of its student body and staff? One of the few counter-arguments management has presented is that they are scared divestment would negatively affect UCL's engineering department. However there is no evidence that by divesting UCL will risk its sponsorship from fossil fuel companies and jeopardise the ties the Engineering department have with them. All other universities who have divested still maintain links with the companies with no effect on their students future relations with these companies whatsoever. It is therefore high time we DEMOCRATISED our university and TAKE ACTION to prevent further planetary degradation. We as students, academics and above all citizens, have the power to change the world. References: [1] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/white-paper/mission [2] UCL Investment Portfolio, December 2012. [3] http://www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/08/Unburnable-Carbon-Full1.pdf, p.13-14. [4] UCL Ethical Investment Policy, http://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/finance_docs/investment_policy.htm [5] DARA, Climate Vulnerability Number 2010 http://daraint.org/climate-vulnerability-monitor/climate-vulnerability-monitor-2010/ [6] Open Letter to UCL Management http://fossilfreeucl.tumblr.com/openletter

  3,573 of 4,000 Signatures

  Created by Natasha Gorodnitski