Campaigners hail UNISON decision as GMPF faces more pressure to ditch fossil fuels
24th June 2017Fossil Free Greater Manchester (FFGM) today hailed UNISON’s decision that local authority pension funds should stop investing in fossil fuels. UNISON members took the decision at their annual conference in Brighton. “UNISON has changed its position in the face of evidence that fossil fuel investments are bad for its members’ pensions and bad for the…
Read moreGM Pension Fund digs a bigger hole for its members’ pension investments
7th May 2017Greater Manchester’s local authority pension fund has nearly trebled its investments in dirty, risky and increasingly redundant coal stocks. Its latest accounts show the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) increased its stakes in mining companies Anglo American and Glencore by 288% and 276% between March 2015 and March 2016. These investments expose Greater Manchester’s local…
Read moreGreater Manchester Mayoral candidates back our divestment call
2nd May 2017All four of the candidates who attended the environment hustings on Friday evening (28 April) said they would call on GMPF to divest from fossil fuels. The candidates were, in order of speaking on this question: Sean Anstee, Conservative Party Andy Burnham, Labour Party Jane Brophy, Liberal Democrats Will Patterson, Green Party The question asked…
Read moreWhy the Waltham Forest council pension fund divested – video
5th March 2017Here’s a video showing why Waltham Forest became the first UK council pension fund to commit to divest from fossil fuels. Video includes interviews with councillors:
Read moreManchester hosts screening of divestment documentary Do The Math
21st February 2017Last week, Fossil Free Greater Manchester held a screening of acclaimed environmental documentary Do the Math. For those who have not seen the documentary, we invite you to grab a cup of tea, or whatever it might be, and spend 44 minutes taking in what this film has to offer. You won’t regret it: “Do…
Read moreUniversity divestment protest by People & Planet
20th February 2017On the 15 February 2017 a protest took place organised by People & Planet, a group formed by students that leads on ethical and environmental work and plans campaigns, representing the University of Manchester. The group has been campaigning for the University to divest from fossil fuel companies. The campaign has been working for three years…
Read moreFebruary meeting of Fossil Free GM
9th February 2017Fossil Free Greater Manchester’s next meeting is at 7pm on Monday (13 Feb.) at the Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham Street, M4 1LE. Click for map. We are energised for the next round of the campaign with ideas for building on what we’ve done so far and taking the campaign to a new level. …
Read moreScreening of acclaimed film “Do The Math.”
26th January 2017Please book via this eventbrite link. Join Fossil Free Greater Manchester for a free film screening of the acclaimed environmental documentary Do The Math (sic). When? Tue 7 February 2017,19:00 – 21:00 Where? Black Dog Ballroom, Church Street, Manchester, M4 1PW map The film, produced by climate campaigners 350.org, highlights the impact the growing fossil…
Read moreWhat councillors need to know about the Fossil Free Greater Manchester campaign for fossil fuel divestment
16th December 2016We’ve created a detailed briefing for councillors and other decision-makers, which we hope will help them understand what our campaign stands for and how they can assist. Again, click here to access the document (it will open in a new window). And if you haven’t time, try this short briefing from 350.org.
Read moreCorrespondence with Greater Manchester Pension Fund
18th October 2016Here we reproduce correspondence with Councillor Kieran Quinn, Chair of Greater Manchester Pension Fund. In May 2016 we wrote an open letter to him, covering possible losses the Fund had sustained due to the declining value of coal stocks, and about the Fund’s preference for engagement with fossil fuel giants rather than divestment. Here we…
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