Guy Opperman under fire over fossil fuel divestment stance

60 figures sign open letter

clock • 3 min read

More than 60 civil society leaders including MPs, climate experts, faith leaders and local councillors have signed an open letter accusing pensions and financial inclusion minister Guy Opperman of backing continued investment in fossil fuels.

Writing in The Telegraph earlier this month, Opperman argued investors with environmental concerns should hold onto their stocks in oil and gas companies so they can "nudge, cajole or vote firms towards lower-carbon business practices". The minister has since sought to clarify his position, arguing that divestment "should be part of a strategic approach to managing pension schemes' exposure to risk, rather than something to be used by default" but that "forcing pension schemes to divest and sell their assets to others would be self-defeating and counterproductive". But his comments ha...

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