The UK is on the brink of the biggest reform of our pensions system in 20 years.
How the pensions system operates has a huge impact on all of us. There is around £3 trillion in UK pensions. Much of it is invested in fossil fuels and other harmful sectors that put people and planet at risk.
But what if that money worked for good instead?
Our pensions could be used to invest in clean energy, support green jobs, and build a more just and sustainable economy. Research has found that our pensions have the potential to invest £1 trillion in climate solutions – like renewable energy – by 2035. This is 50% of the money needed to reach the UK’s 2050 net zero goal.1
At JustMoney Movement, we want to see a larger, more diverse movement of Christians, alongside people of all faiths and none, acting to ensure money is used for good, and that includes where our pensions are invested. We can take action through our own financial decisions, like choosing an ethical pension fund.
But individual choices aren’t enough. We need big, bold, system-wide change. That’s why we’ve joined the Better Pensions Coalition, an alliance of civil society groups and trade unions calling on the government’s pension reforms to:
- Deliver decent pensions for all;
- Fund a just transition to a thriving low-carbon economy; and
- Phase out investment in fossil fuels, deforestation and other destructive activities
Climate change and nature destruction are huge threats to our future security. Keeping investments in fossil fuel holdings is not only harmful – it’s financially risky. Only 4% of pension assets are currently invested in climate solutions.2 We urgently need to see money move away from fossil fuel expansion into sectors that shape a safer, more sustainable world.
A key moment in the reform is the Pension Schemes Bill, announced in Parliament in early June 2025. The Bill aims to bring in new legislation to invest more of our pension savings into the UK economy to support national growth. But so far, it doesn’t address the climate and environmental crisis that threatens all of us.
Help us strengthen the movement for greener, fairer pensions. Here are some steps you can take.
Take action
- Sign the petition today and tell the Pensions Minister you want greener, fairer pensions.
- Contact your MP – share this briefing on the Pensions Scheme Bill and ask them to back greener pensions.
- Reflect on your own choices – visit our Money Makes Change hub to explore how your finances can reflect your faith and values.
Footnotes:
- Climate Action Report – Make My Money Matter
- Phoenix, Unlocking Investment in Climate Solutions, 2023.
Glad to see the focus on systemic change alongside personal responsibility. Both are essential if we want our pension savings to support a future that’s fairer and more sustainable for everyone.
Dear JustMoney,
Thank you for speaking up. It is fantastic what you are doing and I believe that there are many in our country who would like to live in a fairer safer society, including wealthy people.There is a concern I have and you may have already covered it, in which case I apologise. The frequent reference to eliminating fossil fuels concerns me. I believe that we should start by eliminating imported fossil fuels, as transporting them as also a polluting activity. Indeed it would help the planet if we were to genererally reduce imports. Many consider that the alternative to fossill fuels is electric but the creation of many batteries is costing the rain forest.
It’s inspiring to see the movement pushing for such a huge change in how pensions are handled. System-wide reforms are absolutely needed if we’re going to meet climate targets. It’s exciting to think about how much potential there is to invest in green solutions.