XR call to divest pension funds welcomed by Greens
Calls to divest the Scottish Parliament’s pension funds from fossil fuels have been welcomed by the Scottish Greens.
The demand from Extinction Rebellion on the parliament’s investment partner Baillie Gifford, which invests in oil giant Shell, comes after it emerged almost half of universities in the UK have committed to cutting ties with fossil fuel firms.
Commenting, Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “It’s important to lead by example, which is why MSPs of all colours have been calling for an end to unethical investments of our pension funds.
“During a climate emergency, any investment in our future must recognise that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is simply incompatible with the available science on global warming. We’ve seen that universities are beginning to recognise this. It’s time for investment firms and other financial institutions to catch up.”