Snowy Protest At Lewes County Hall Calls For Fossil Fuel Divestment

Thursday, 21 November 2024 15:35

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Campaigners brave the snow to read the names of the 1,600 institutions (worth $40 trillion) who have divested from fossil fuels, outside County Hall, 21 November 2024. Photo: Divest East Sussex

Residents of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove braved snow and near-zero temperatures this morning (Thursday) to stage a 90-minute 'Divest for climate justice!' protest outside County Hall in Lewes.

Campaigners took it in turns to use a public address system to read out the names of the 1,667 institutions around the world.

A call-and-response element to the protest saw campaigners periodically pause the name-reading to collectively chant: 'If they can do it, why can't the East Sussex Pension Fund?'

Two police officers and a large security detail involving at least ten security guards had been mobilised to attend the crowd outside the hall.

The name-reading was timed to coincide with the last East Sussex Pension Committee meeting of 2024.

Campaigners outside Lewes County Hall (c) Energise Sussex Coast

A spokesperson for the campaigners said:

"The East Sussex Pension Fund, which covers Brighton & Hove as well as East Sussex but is administered by East Sussex County Council (ESCC), has refused to stop investing in fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas).

£It currently has millions of pounds of local people’s pension monies invested in oil and gas companies like Shell and BP."

Institutions that have already made fossil fuel divestment commitments include: Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard Universities, Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Federal State of Berlin, two massive New York City pension funds and the Church of England.

Pension Fund member Sarah Hazlehurst said:

'By clinging on to its remaining investments. in fossil fuel companies the East Sussex Pension Fund and East Sussex County Council are effectively providing a fig-leaf for these companies’ ongoing attempts to block effective climate action and missing a huge opportunity to show real leadership on the climate crisis.

"It should be clear to everyone: if the Islington, Cardiff and New York City pension funds can all commit to stop investing in fossil fuels then so can the East Sussex Pension Fund.

"It's time to for the Fund to finally start taking the climate crisis seriously and divest."

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