3A.4 ACTION on local authority pension funds: What you can do

A growing number of Scottish local authorities want their pension fund to divest from nuclear weapons producers. We need your help to persuade other councils to support nuclear weapons divestment:

  1. Check section 3 of this guide to see whether the local government pension fund that covers your area has investments in nuclear weapons companies.
  2. Write to your local councillors explaining why you think that the fund should divest (click here for our template letter). Include a copy of our model resolution on divestment with the appropriate information inserted and suggest that this is put to the council, unless the council has passed a resolution already.
    You can find out who your local councillors are at writetothem.com. This site also allows you to email your councillors using an online form.
  3. You should also request that your councillors pass on your concerns about nuclear weapons investments to the convenor of the pensions committee, which administers the fund.
  4. If you do not receive a satisfactory response, request a meeting with your councillors or attend one of their regular surgeries.
  5. Let us know how you get on. If you get stuck, we can help: nukedivestmentscotland@gmail.com.

You could also contact members of the pensions committee directly, as they have the power to change the fund’s statement of investment principles. See section 3 for a link to the list of pensions committee members for each fund.

If you are a member of the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme, see section 8.3 for information on what you can do to encourage your fund to divest from nuclear weapons.