“We are playing Russian roulette with our planet.
We need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell..”
UN General Secretary Antonio Guterrez, June 5, 2024
The WA State Investment Board (WSIB) holds at least $8 billion directly in fossil fuel investments and many more billions indirectly. Coal, oil, and gas are poor financial investments, and they contribute to burning up the planet.
QUICK ACTION: Please testify to the WA State Investment Board in person or on Zoom at their next meeting Thursday, June 20, or send an email by 9:00 am on Wed, June 19 to recep@sib.wa.gov. The board is very supportive of people who have never testified before, so please give it a try.
Even a one-sentence email makes a difference, or write more if you have time. Even if you aren’t a public employee, your voice matters. Oral testimony is powerful, and 2 minutes is all it takes.
Suggested talking points:
- Why getting our state pension out of fossil fuels NOW is important to you personally
- Fossil fuel investments by our huge pension fund (6th largest in the U.S. with a total of $197 billion in pension and trust funds) is putting everyone–and the world economy–at risk as they keep pumping CO2 into the atmosphere
- Returns on fossil fuel investments have lagged for over a decade and risk becoming worthless–jeopardizing hard-earned retirement funds
- Fossil fuels have always been a volatile investment, but economic risks have skyrocketed in the past decade. The energy sector, which dominated the S&P 500 in the 1980’s with 29% of the market, is only 5% today.
- WSIB: Be transparent about the widespread climate-related financial risks in the WSIB portfolio, including systemic risks to the entire economy
- Fossil fuel investments are unjust! WSIB’s recent $400M Private Equity investment in the Rio Grande LNG terminal unfairly harms communities of color.
- At a minimum, divest from the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies, as established by carbon content, in the companies’ proven oil, gas and coal reserves.
- Remove fossil fuels from state investments in a transparent manner that protects the health of our pension fund.
THANK YOU for your comments and testimonies in April! They are making a difference.
The Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) meets Thursday June 20, at 9:30 am in Olympia. To attend in person or remotely by Microsoft Teams, follow the instructions: https://www.sib.wa.gov/meetings.html.
Sign up to comment at least 24 hours in advance. Oral comments are usually limited to 2 or 3 minutes–in person or on Zoom. Be respectful of time, and remember the members of the board are potential allies.
Thank You!
Divest Washington
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