Financial Strategies Pt 1 Helen Rosenthal
Channel: Owen Crowley
Date: 18/08/2015

Helen Rosenthal, City Council member, District 6, Chair of the Contracts Committee, discusses the responsibility of public officials for the NYC pension funds, and calls for a financial study to assess the likelihood that the fossil fuel investments in these funds will be devalued as a result of various factors, such as government regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, energy conservation and efficiency, and the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy.

Organized by 350NYC, the local affiliate of 350.org

Climate change is threatening our food and water supplies, economy, infrastructure, public health, and the future of NYC. The main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), which trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Our panel explored various financial strategies for keeping fossil fuels in the ground to prevent catastrophic climate change. Should individuals and institutions divest from fossil fuel companies? Or should they remain invested in these companies to influence their policies through shareholder activism?

Cosponsors include Responsible Endowments Coalition; United for Action (UFA); Green Sanctuary Committee CCNY, UU; Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition; Sierra Club, NYC Group; New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC); West 80s Neighborhood Association; Food and Water Watch; Greater NYC for Change; Barnard Divest; the Investure Schools Coalition for Fossil Fuel Divestment; Seven Sisters Coalition for Fossil Fuel Divestment; 350Brooklyn; Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE); Social Action Committee of Park Slope UMC; CUNY Divest; Beloved Earth Community, Riverside Church; Broadway Democrats; Three Parks Democrats; Village Independent Democrats; GreenFaith; Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG); NYU Divest; Bronx Climate Justice North; Grassroots Environmental Education; Green Education and Legal Fund, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Fossil Free & Green NY.