STROUD district councillors will call on the county to ‘halt catastrophe’ by freezing investments in fossil fuels through pension schemes.

The proposal by Green councillors Martin Baxendale and Paul Denney, calls for a freeze on the continued investment of public money in fossil fuels.

Their motion urges Gloucestershire County Council’s Pension Committee to follow the example of Waltham Forest council whose committee recently adopted such a policy.

They are also attempting to rally other local councils to the cause, Thursday’s council meeting will see the matter debated in full.

Cllr Baxendale said: “The council recognises the serious risk to climate stability caused by the continued burning of fossil fuels.

“It accepts that a rapid large-scale shift away from fossil fuels towards energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy is needed to avert catastrophic levels of future climate change.”

The motion proposes an immediate freeze on new investments in fossil fuels and divestment from any business which is involved in the exploration or production of fossil fuels within 5 years.

Cllr Baxendale stated that the council will actively lobby other councils whose staff pensions are within the Gloucestershire Local Government Pension Fund to pass similar motions in favour of divestment from fossil fuels within the fund.

The move could still see a return to energy investment, but in more financially viable areas.

With fossil fuels on the rapid decline, it no longer falls into this category and is now viewed as a misuse of public investment, alongside the morality debate that enthralls climate change debate.