The Minnesota Divesmtnet Coalition is an earnest, local, grassroots campaign. We are calling on the Minnesota State Board of Investments to begin divesting state-held pension funds from fossil fuel corporations. This strategy will improve the stability and resiliency of pension-fund financial returns, both in the long term and the short term.
Places like New York City and the University of California are already divesting their pension holdings from fossil fuels. They’re choosing to invest elsewhere because they recognize it’s the smart decision for pension holders. The fossil fuel sector is shrinking as businesses push toward renewable energy. More importantly, climate change endangers infrastructure, transportation, healthcare and so much more. As such, it is a threat not just to pensioners’ financial stakes, but to everyone’s futures.
That’s why investments protecting Minnesota’s environment also protect our collective financial interests. We urge the State Board of Investment to stop making risky investments in fossil fuel extraction and transport. Instead, Minnesota should take advantage of rapidly expanding opportunities and move our economy toward self-sufficient, renewable energy. It’s the right thing to do, for our wallets and our world.