Residents and workers who care about climate issues are being asked to support new campaigns to reduce and remove their local council pension funds' investment in oil and gas, including companies that are expanding extraction of fossil fuels.

There's never been a better time to ramp up the pressure, thanks to radical change leading up to April 2026. These include opportunities created in the new Pension Schemes Bill, the launch of a new national lobbying Better Pensions Coalition and this national petition - more info here

The Government’s new pension law created 6 megafunds to invest on behalf of all local council pension funds. The megafund for Tees, Durham and Tyne & Wear funds is called Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (info here). It is based in Leeds and from April 2026 has expanded from 11 to 18 pension funds. This means that campaigners keen to reduce and end fossil fuel investment by pension funds can now work together in a larger campaign created to lobby BCPP.

This new campaign is called BCPP Fossil Free – it’s already made its mark, organising protests, using established rights to question BCPP leaders and lobbying MPs. We urge climate campaigners who want to switch £ billions out of fossil fuels (money that came from our pockets!) to get involved with BCPP Fossil Free. There’s an online introductory meeting on 19 May (7.30pm) – register here: https://buytickets.at/bcppfossilfree/2136199/

There’s more details here, including the BCPP campaign email address. Or join the campaign’s GoogleGroup discussion area, by emailing bcpp-campaign@googlegroups.com.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more: divest.tw@assembly.org.uk

Options to increase pressure on the local pensions funds:

• write letters
• attend pension fund quarterly meetings
• sign national petition
• support 25 Sept protest

Support is available from neighbouring divest campaigns, including Divest Tyne & Wear campaign (homepage) and also UK Divest, the national campaign group https://www.divest.org.uk/