Success for pension fund divestment campaign
18 May 2023
Two years ago TBI supported a campaign led by Highland Palestine aimed at persuading the council to divest ffom its pension fund's holding in the American armaments manufacturer General Dynamics - the maker of bombs which had been used by Israel in air attacks on Gaza.
In conjunction with Friends of the Earth Scotland offshoot Fossil-free Highlands the campaign was expanded to include a demand for divestment from fossil fuels and other environmentally and socially harmful products. On 9 September 2021 Scottish Green Party councillor Pippa Hadley put a motion to a meeting of the full council calling on it to commit to 'divestment from fossil fuels, armaments and other environmentally and socially harmful products and activities as soon as possible'.
After vigorous discussion the council adopted without a vote a non-committal 'amendment' put forward by Councillor Ben Thompson, chairman of the pensions Investment sub-committee, in opposition to Councillor Hadley's motion. This disappointing outcome was followed by the revelation in the previously unseen minutes of a meeting of the Investment Sub-committee on 12 March 2021 that a decision had already been made which would have the effect of divesting from General Dynamics, and the leaders of the campaign justifiably claimed at least partial success.
Review the background to and progress of the divestment campaign in
this archived page from our website from September 2021
April 2023 email from Highland Palestine confirming the success of the campaign
Latest News Stories
- 08/09/2024 Welcome for proposed Natural Environment Bill
- 06/09/2024 Wind Farm proposal for Cnoc Ceislein
- 04/09/2024 Scottish Human Rights Bill omitted from programme for government
- 02/09/2024 Highland Council adopts Circular Economy policy
- 24/08/2024 Transition UK project hit by funding blow
- 16/08/2024 Highlands & Islands Climate Festival continues through September
- 14/08/2024 Rewilding information and events
- 06/08/2024 12 August was UN International Youth Day
- 05/08/2024 The GALE Centre Wins TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award
- 04/08/2024 Wealthy western countries lead in global oil and gas expansion
Forthcoming Events…
- Saturday 28 September
- NA H&I Hub Hopeful Futures weekend
- 10:00 North Kessock Community market
- Sunday 29 September
- NA H&I Hub Hopeful Futures weekend
- Tuesday 1 October
- 18:00 Zero Food Waste Challenge - Batch Cooking Workshop
- Saturday 5 October
- 12:00 Go Flourish garden open day
- Tuesday 8 October
- NA Zero Food Waste Challenge - Make Your Own Fakeaway Pizza Workshop
- Saturday 12 October
- NA Cromarty Community Market
- Tuesday 15 October
- NA Zero Food Waste Challenge - Growing & Storing Your Own Food
Events to add to calendar? Contact Us.