Move the Nuclear Weapons (and fossil fuel) Money

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for governments and the international community to focus more on human security issues and to shift resources from military spending, especially the nuclear weapons budgets, to accomplish this. However, the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries have vested financial interests in maintaining the nuclear arms race and a fossil fuel economy. They are potent political forces preventing change.

Governments, cities, religious communities, universities, banks and private investors can shift these financial incentives by divesting from the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries and re-allocating these investments according to the UN Global Compact and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) principals. Such actions provide political support for legislative efforts to cut nuclear weapons budgets, especially in the USA and UK.

This webinar will highlight public campaigns and legislative efforts to cut nuclear weapons budgets, along with examples of nuclear weapons and fossil fuel divestment and examine how these can assist initiatives to cut nuclear weapons budgets and support public health, climate protection and sustainable development. The webinar will include the preview of a Handbook on Nuclear Weapons Divestment which is being developed by the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign and will be published later this year.

Moderator

Vanda Proskova, (Czech Republic), Social Media Director, Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign.

Speakers

Kehkashan Basu (United Arab Emirates/Canada), Youth Ambassador, World Future Council. Winner, 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize.
Jennifer Blemur (USA), Director, Women Legislators’ Lobby (WiLL), a program of Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)
Susanna Choe (USA), Executive Director, Regeneration Fund and Move the Nuclear Weapons Money program, Investment Community Visibility Group.
John Ingram (USA). 350NYC.org Steering Committee Member. Member of Divest NYC Coalition and Divest NY State Coalition.
Thies Kätow (Germany), Divestment Researcher, World Future Council.
Marzhan Nurzhan (Kazakhstan/Switzerland), Coordinator of the Abolition 2000 Youth Network. Deputy Director of the Basel Peace Office.
Jeff Perkins (USA), Executive Director, Friends Fiduciary Corporation
Karen Robinson (United Kingdom), Campaign worker, Conscience: Taxes for Peace not War
Matt Robson (New Zealand), Former Deputy Leader of the Progressive Party and New Zealand Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control.
Quique Sánchez (Spain), Global Campaign on Military Spending

Presentations used during the webinar

Presentation by Thies Kätow ‘Nuclear Divestment for Everyone’
Presentation by Matt Robson ‘New Zealand Divestment and Ethical/Impact Investment’
Presentation by Jeff Perkins ‘Investment Practices of Friends Fiduciary’

Links to relevant websites referred to in the presentations

New Zealand superfund Returns vs Reference Portfolio
Norwegian Government Pension Fund Performance