#ESCCclimatefudge

On 12 October 2021, over 150 people from across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove processed through the streets of Lewes to deliver a giant ‘climate fudge’ anniversary cake to County Hall. (Two years earlier East Sussex County Council (ESCC) had declared a ‘climate emergency’.)

Climate campaigners deliver giant ‘climate fudge’ cake to County Hall

Press release
Divest East Sussex, Lewes Climate Hub and XR Lewes [1]
12 October 2021
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTOS: https://tinyurl.com/esccclimatefudge1, https://tinyurl.com/esccclimatefudge2, https://tinyurl.com/esccclimatefudge3 [CAPTION: Climate campaigners deliver a giant ‘Two years of climate fudge’ cake to County Hall, Lewes on 12 October 2021. PHOTO: Katie Vandyck]

CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS DELIVER GIANT ‘CLIMATE FUDGE’ CAKE TO COUNTY HALL
County Council accused of failing to treat climate crisis as an emergency

Tuesday 12 October, County Hall: Over 150 people from across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove delivered a giant ‘climate fudge’ birthday cake to County Hall this morning (Tuesday 12 October), as part of a mass protest demanding that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) start treating the climate emergency as an emergency. The meter-tall cake with two giant candles, carried by two people in chef’s outfits, was decorated with the words: ‘Two years of climate fudge’ and ‘ESCC: It’s time for climate action!’

The cake was processed through the streets of Lewes to County Hall, led by well-known local musician Dirk Campbell playing the bagpipes. Council Leader Keith Glazier failed to take up an offer to come out and personally accept the cake.

Campaigners say that two years after declaring a ‘climate emergency’ [2], ESCC is still refusing to divest the East Sussex Pension Fund (which covers Brighton and Hove, as well as East Sussex) from fossil fuels [3], still hasn’t endorsed the Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill (which would ensure that the UK plays its fair and proper role in limiting global warming to 1.5°C) [4] and appears to have done very little to make its ‘target’ of reducing the County’s carbon emissions by 13% a year a reality [5].

ESCC: This is climate emergency! Join the big climate demo @ County Hall on 12 October

Tuesday 12 October, 9.30 – 11am, County Hall, Lewes (BN7 1UE)
Assemble 8.30am outside Lewes station for 9am procession to County Hall

Two years after declaring a ‘climate emergency’ East Sussex County Council (ESCC) still needs to:

– divest from fossil fuels;
– take rapid action to de-carbonise the County; and
– back the Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill.

Join us on 12 Oct to remind them that it’s time for climate action!

Climate campaigners to deliver giant ‘climate fudge’ anniversary cake to County Hall tomorrow (12 Oct)

Press release
Divest East Sussex, Lewes Climate Hub and XR Lewes [1]
11 October 2021
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTO: https://tinyurl.com/thunberginphoto [CAPTION : Climate campaigners hold a ‘Thunberg-in’ outside County Hall, Lewes in February 2020. PHOTO: Katie Vandyck]



CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS TO DELIVER GIANT ‘CLIMATE FUDGE’ ANNIVERSARY CAKE TO COUNTY HALL
 TOMORROW (12 OCT)
County Council accused of failing to treat climate crisis as an emergency
, two years after declaring it one

Tuesday 12 October, 9.30am, County Hall: Campaigners from across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove will deliver a giant ‘climate fudge’ anniversary cake to County Hall tomorrow (Tuesday 12 October), as part of a mass protest demanding that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) start treating the climate emergency as an emergency. The meter-tall cake with two giant candles, carried by two people in chef’s outfits, will be decorated with the words: ‘Two years of climate fudge’ and ‘ESCC: It’s time for climate action!’ The cake will be processed through the streets of Lewes to County Hall, leaving Lewes station at 9am. Council Leader Keith Glazier has been invited to personally accept delivery.



Campaigners point to the facts that two years after declaring a ‘climate emergency’ [2], ESCC is still refusing to divest the East Sussex Pension Fund (which covers Brighton and Hove, as well as East Sussex) from fossil fuels [3], still hasn’t endorsed the Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill (which would ensure that the UK plays its fair and proper role in limiting global warming to 1.5°C) [4] and appears to have done very little to make its ‘target’ of reducing the County’s carbon emissions by 13% a year a reality [5].

We need YOUR help to tell ESCC: sound a death knell for fossil fuels!

‘Today’s IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a code red for humanity … This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet.’ – UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, August 2021



We need YOUR* help to tell East Sussex County Council (ESCC) that it’s time for it to help ‘sound a death knell for fossil fuels’ by divesting the East Sussex Pension Fund from fossil fuels.

Please take 2 mins to email the question below to ESCC by 4pm on Monday 4 October – full details below.

* Residents of East Sussex, Brighton and Hove – ESCC runs *your* Local Government Pension Scheme.

Please send divestment postcards to the three Conservative Councillors on the East Sussex Pension Committee!

Local Conservatives have recently booted one of their own Councillors off the East Sussex Pension Committee – the five-person decision-making body for the East Sussex Pension Fund – over fears that he *might* have been too sympathetic to divesting the Fund from fossil fuels (see below for more details).

So it’s time to ratchet up the pressure!

Please take 5 mins to send postcards to the three Conservative Councillors currently on the East Sussex Pension Committee, urging them to stop investing local people’s pensions in fossil fuels.

Your message can be as simple as ‘Please stop investing in fossil fuels!’

Local pension fund member launches petition to end fossil fuel investments

Press Release
Divest East Sussex [1]
9 August July 2021
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTOS: https://tinyurl.com/sarahpetitions [CAPTION: Pension Fund member Sarah Hazlehurst with copies of the new divestment petition.]; https://tinyurl.com/attenboroughprotest [CAPTION: Supporters of Divest East Sussex holding an ‘Attenborough-in’ outside County Hall in Lewes to protest the Council’s ongoing investment in fossil fuel companies, 23 July 2021. PHOTO: Katie Vandyck.]


LOCAL PENSION FUND MEMBER LAUNCHES PETITION TO END FOSSIL FUEL INVESTMENTS

Move comes as UN says new climate report ‘must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy the planet’

Monday 9 August: A member of the East Sussex Pension Fund has launched a petition for members of the local government pension scheme, calling on East Sussex County Council (ESCC) to stop investing in the giant oil and gas companies that are driving the climate crisis. The £4.2bn scheme, which covers roughly 78,000 members in East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, is administered ESCC. The petition can be signed online at https://tinyurl.com/members4divestment. 

14-foot Attenborough puppet joins fossil fuel protest at County Hall

Press Release
Divest East Sussex [1]
23 July 2021
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTOS: https://tinyurl.com/attenboroughin1 and https://tinyurl.com/attenboroughin2 [CAPTION: Supporters of Divest East Sussex holding an ‘Attenborough-in’ outside County Hall in Lewes to protest the Council’s ongoing investment in fossil fuel companies, 23 July 2021. PHOTO: Katie Vandyck]

14-FOOT DAVID ATTENBOROUGH PUPPET JOINS MASS ‘ATTENBOROUGH-IN’ OUTSIDE COUNTY HALL
It’s time for the East Sussex Pension Fund to stop investing in fossil fuel companies, say campaigners

Friday 23 July, County Hall, Lewes: A fourteen-foot tall puppet of David Attenborough joined dozens of members of the public from across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove this morning for a mass ‘Attenborough-in’ outside County Hall in Lewes. The event, for which participants donned David Attenborough masks, was held to highlight the East Sussex Pension Fund’s continued investment in the giant oil and gas companies, like Shell and BP, that are driving the climate crisis. The following quote from the beloved naturalist was prominently displayed: ‘It’s crazy that our banks and our pensions are investing in fossil fuel, when these are the very things that are jeopardising the future that we are saving for.’ [2]

Long a focus for climate campaigners, the East Sussex Pension Fund – the local government pension scheme for East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, which is administered by ESCC – still has tens of millions of local people’s pensions invested in the oil and gas majors like Shell and BP [3].

Join the mass ‘Attenborough-in’ outside County Hall on Friday 23 July!

IT’S TIME TO DIVEST FROM FOSSIL FUELS!

Join the mass ‘Attenborough-in’ (David Attenborough masks provided) outside County Hall in Lewes on the date of the next Full Council meeting:
FRIDAY 23 JULY, 8.30 – 10am
Outside County Hall, Lewes (St Anne’s Crescent, BN7 1UE)

Socially-distanced demo. Please wear a face mask and let us know that you’re coming (divesteastsussex@gmail.com).

‘It’s crazy that our banks and our pensions are investing in fossil fuel, when these are the very things that are jeopardising the future that we are saving for.’ – David Attenborough

Brighton campaigners post giant ear to ESCC, demanding Brighton & Hove voice on local pensions

Press Release
20 July 2021
Divest Brighton and Hove
More info: 07765038963

PHOTOS: https://tinyurl.com/divestear0, https://tinyurl.com/divestear1, https://tinyurl.com/divestear2, https://tinyurl.com/divestear3 [Brighton & Hove campaigners posting a giant ear to East Sussex County Council to launch the new petition, demanding a say for Brighton and Hove City Council in local pensions]

CAMPAIGNERS POST GIANT EAR TO EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL, DEMANDING BRIGHTON AND HOVE VOICE ON LOCAL PENSIONS
County Council ‘just not listening’ to Brighton and Hove on fossil fuel investments say climate campaigners

Tuesday 20th July, Brighton: Brighton and Hove campaigners have posted a giant ear to the Leader of East Sussex County Council (ESCC), calling on ESCC to grant Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) representation on the East Sussex Pension Fund, the local government pension scheme for Brighton, Hove and East Sussex. Campaigners say ESCC is ‘just not listening’ to BHCC’s concerns about the Fund’s continued investment in the giant oil and gas companies, like Shell and BP, which are driving the climate crisis, and have started a petition demanding that BHCC should now be granted a role in decision-making over the Fund’s investments [1].

The East Sussex Pension Fund currently has tens of millions of pounds of local people’s pensions invested in oil and gas companies [2]. Such companies are forecast to spend trillions of dollars over the next decade on new oil and gas fields – none of which is compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C [3].