Shares in Shell and BP still part of the scheme
Jon Stone Policy Correspondent @joncstone: 24 March 2020
The parliamentary pension fund for MPs is still investing in fossil fuels despite parliament declaring a climate emergency, new figures show.
The fund is still heavily invested in Shell (£8m) and BP (£4.4m) despite over 350 current and former MPs backing a campaign to set a good example by diverting cash elsewhere.
MPs have however welcomed news in the fund’s latest filings that it is increasingly shifting its cash towards renewable energy – with five per cent of investments going to the green sector for the first time.
“Parliament declared a climate emergency nearly a year ago, and the parliamentary pension fund needs to fall into line with this by ending the support for fossil fuels.
“These investments cannot be justified on ethical, environmental or financial grounds, and they undermine MPs’ credibility in addressing the climate emergency. They have to stop.”
Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: “The coronavirus pandemic is showing the devastating effects a major crisis can have to all areas of society. The climate crisis risks being even worse – unless we take urgent action.
“Transitioning our economy away from fossil fuels is paramount and Parliament must lead the way, which is why I joined the Divest Parliament initiative as a newly elected MP. My pension shouldn’t be used to fuel the climate crisis and I call on the trustees of our MP pension fund to divest fully from fossil fuel companies.”
Even government ministers have previously called for pension funds in general to “shift their portfolios towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels”.
While progress has been slow to divesting from fossil fuels, the fund is making some progress. Its latest 2019 annual report shows that compared to the 2018 report, the investment in BP PLC has decreased by 62 per cent and the investment in Royal Dutch Shell has fallen by 26 per cent.
The pressure on the parliamentary fund is part of a wider campaign by environmentalists calling on public bodies like councils to divest from fossil fuels and other damaging or unethical businesses.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
