California Pensions Fail to Engage: A review of CalPERS’ and CalSTRS’ votes against shareholder climate resolutions

Read the full report. As the impacts of climate change begin to wreak havoc on our bisophere, the fossil fuel divestment movement has gained remarkable momentum. Globally, 1,500 institutions representing over $40 trillion in assets have already committed to some level of divestment from the fossil fuel industry.1 Despite over a decade of pressure from…

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New report reveals California pensions CalPERS, CalSTRS vote NO on Big Oil shareholder climate resolutions

The retirement systems’ failed shareholder engagement efforts with fossil fuel companies has cost their members $11.9 billion in returns California — A report released today from Fossil Free California reveals that California’s public pensions voted to oppose climate action at major fossil fuel companies and financiers during the 2022 Annual General Meeting season. This exposé…

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California Senate expected to vote on fossil fuel divestment this week

A young climate activist marches in downtown Los Angeles holding a sign that says "SUPPORT SB 1173."

California — Amidst increasing drought and water crisis, wildfires, and tangible impacts of the fossil-fueled climate chaos, this week, the California State Senate will vote on Senate Bill 1173 (Gonzalez and Wiener), California’s Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, which would require the state’s public pension funds to divest from fossil fuels. The California Public Employees’ Retirement…

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Report reveals CalPERS, CalSTRS exaggerate cost of divestment

New report exposes pattern of misinformation on fossil fuel divestment from two largest public pension funds in U.S. (California) — A first-of-its-kind comprehensive report released today from Fossil Free California reveals that the combined $800 billion California Public Employees’ and State Teachers’ Retirement Systems have repeatedly given incorrect and inflated figures on the costs of…

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What Does Divestment Cost? Misinformation from CalPERS and CalSTRS

The “fiscal impact” analysis for the Appropriations Committee in the state Senate or Assembly can make or break a bill. For divestment bills, CalPERS and CalSTRS have repeatedly given imprecise, incorrect, and inflated figures on the costs of divestment, including in the numbers reported to the Appropriations Committee for SB 1173, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill.

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CalSTRS Exaggerates Costs of Divestment

CalPERS and CalSTRS manage portfolios worth $466 billion and $323 billion, respectively, so it’s natural for these public pension funds to throw around large numbers. But evidence from the funds themselves and from independent analyses suggests that PERS and STRS wildly exaggerate both the transaction costs and the opportunity costs of divestments in general. In…

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CalSTRS Tunes Out Teachers to Engage with Exxon

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (or, CalSTRS) prides itself on its shareholder engagement with fossil fuel companies. However, by spending their resources, time, and energy on connecting with oil giants like Exxon, CalSTRS has failed to engage with the shareholders who matter most: their own.

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To Help Ukraine, Will Pensions Divest From Unethical Fossil Fuels?

San Francisco & California pension funds: divest from both fossil-fuels and dictators! Many of us have been watching the images of terrible destruction and heartbreak from Ukraine. Have you wondered how President Putin finances his military machine? As much as 50% of Russian government revenue comes from fossil-fuel related businesses. Unfortunately, California and San Francisco pension funds…

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Climate Justice Coalition Cheers as Senator Gonzalez Introduces Pension Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill

Today, Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) introduced SB 1173 — the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act — in the California state legislature. The bill would mandate that California’s public pension funds stop investing in fossil fuel companies. For over eight years, teachers, students, and state workers have called for their pensions to divest from fossil…

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Santa Monica Youth Call Out CalSTRS’ Harry Keiley

### On August 14th at 10 AM on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, youth from all over Los Angeles will be demonstrating against the California Teachers’ Retirement Association (CalSTRS) investing billions of dollars into fossil fuels. CalSTRS is the 2nd largest pension fund in the U.S., managing over 300 billion dollars and serving…

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