February 2024 Briefing to the SBI – Bonds

Why bond investments in fossil fuel companies contribute more to the climate crisis than equity investments and what the SBI can do about it.   There is no denying that our winter (and summer) weather patterns are severely disrupted. It is more urgent than ever for us to take swift action to rapidly reduce our use …

Fall 2023 Briefing – Recommendations for developing a roadmap

Minnesota Divestment Coalition Recommendations regarding a Roadmap for Implementing Climate Risk Recommendations The October 2022 Meketa Report laid out several recommendations regarding the implications of climate risk for investments. The State Board of Investment (SBI) is developing a road map for implementing these recommendations that will be shared before the end of the year.  Reports …

January/February 2023 Briefing – Carbon capture and sequestration

January/February 2023 Briefing to the MN State Board of Investment  This Briefing to the SBI addresses investment considerations for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology. While the Inflation Reduction Act provides generous tax incentives for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), there are two types of CCS and only one of them is a genuine climate …

Fall 2022 Briefing – Welcome to Jill Schurtz, Meketa report on climate risk, Private equity climate risk, Auditor Blaha’s advocacy

The Minnesota Divestment Coalition Fall 2022 Briefing to the State Board of Investment We extend a very warm welcome to Jill Schurtz. The Minnesota Divestment Coalition welcomes the new Executive Director Jill Schurtz to the State Board of Investment. We look forward to working with her on implementing the recommendations of the Meketa Report as …

Late August 2022 Briefing – Thermal coal, Risky fossil fuels, Fiduciary responsibility

The Minnesota Divestment Coalition’s Late August Briefing to the SBI The late August briefing to the SBI includes 1) A request that the SBI provide an update to the Thermal Coal Resolution of May 2020; 2) Comments on the continuing risky behavior of the fossil fuel industry; and 3) Continuing concerns about the SBI’s fiduciary …

May/June Briefing – Fossil Fuel Stocks

MINNESOTA DIVESTMENT COALITION BRIEFING TO THE SBI MAY/JUNE 2022 Why now is the time to sell fossil fuel stocks.   Fossil fuel stocks used to be in the large cap category of stocks intended to bring stability and reliable returns to a portfolio. For the past 10 years, fossil fuel stocks haven’t performed in this manner …

April 2022 Briefing – SEC rule + Carbon Capture

Minnesota Divestment Coalition APRIL 2022 BRIEFING TO THE SBI This Briefing will look at  (1) the Securities and Exchange Commission’s draft proposal; and (2) The problem with fossil fuel companies and carbon capture. The SBI should weigh in on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed rule (S7-13-22). A draft proposal by the Securities and …

February 2022 Briefing – Private equity, staffing and new evidence on the impact of divestment

MINNESOTA DIVESTMENT COALITION – February 2022 Briefing to the SBI 1. Recommended due diligence procedures for private equity investment decisions. Almost 25% of SBI holdings are in private equity companies such as KKR and Blackrock. Investments in private equity industries differ in a very important way from investments in publicly traded companies – once the …

MINNESOTA DIVESTMENT COALITION JANUARY 2022 BRIEFING

Scenario Unfolding: Continued fossil fuel investing amid greenwashing leads to market crash This briefing focuses on (1) A statement from the SEC Commissioner regarding corporations misleading shareholders about their climate actions; (2) the findings of the Climate Safe Pensions Report, and (3) a Bloomberg News article about “Wall Street’s $22 Trillion Carbon Time Bomb.” 1) …

October Briefing 2021 – Shareholder Advocacy

MINNESOTA DIVESTMENT COALITION – October 2021 Briefing to the SBI This monthly update highlights global action on fossil fuel divestment and serves to inspire MN State Board of Investment Members to take urgent action to protect our investments and stop climate change. As stated in the Minnesota Divestment Coalition’s September briefing to the SBI, we believe …