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The Climate Plan

Take your climate action to the next level with your pension. Invest in companies actively reducing their carbon emissions.
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Important: With investments, your capital is at risk. Pensions can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest.

What is the Climate Plan?

The Climate Plan is designed to reduce your pension’s investment in polluters and heavy carbon emitting companies over time. It does this by continually reducing the total intensity of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by companies in the plan by at least 10% each year. So, even if the global economy uses more carbon over time, the Climate Plan will move in the opposite direction, always using less.

The plan’s objective is to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement to keep the rise in global surface temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and it aims to do this sooner than other investments. In fact, the plan will be one of the first to take advantage of the financial opportunities associated with the low-carbon transition.

Watch Ben Leale-Green, Portfolio Strategist from State Street Global Advisors, explain what the Climate Plan is.

How the Climate Plan works

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Fossil fuel free investing

The Climate Plan excludes the usual suspects such as fossil fuel producing companies but goes further. It also excludes those with direct fossil fuel reserves and those heavily reliant on fossil fuel operations, such as utility companies with fossil fuel based power generation.

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Net zero pathway

The plan follows a Paris-Aligned Benchmark (PAB), a strict decarbonisation pathway compatible with the 2015 Paris Agreement. A decarbonisation pathway is a plan that identifies the actions, investments, and technologies needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve a set long-term goal. An EU Paris-Aligned Benchmark targets a minimum reduction in total carbon emissions of 7% each year. However, the Climate Plan exceeds this. Instead, it aims for total carbon emissions produced by the companies in the Climate Plan to be reduced by at least 10% each year.

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Why choose the Climate Plan?

Putting your pension into the Climate Plan means investing in companies at the forefront of the transition to a low-carbon economy as you save for retirement. Here are some of the key features of the Climate Plan.
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Low-carbon future

Companies in the plan are actively reducing their carbon footprint over time. It’s a great way to use your pension knowing it’ll be investing for a less carbon-intensive future.

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Financial opportunity

Companies prepared for the transition to a low-carbon economy may offer several financial opportunities including alignment with government carbon pricing regulations, taking advantage of green incentives and adopting sustainable practices, which could reduce operational costs and boost profitability over time, among others.

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Continually decarbonises

Includes a decarbonisation pathway which means even if the global economy increases its carbon output the Climate Plan will move in the opposite direction proactively investing in less carbon-intensive companies over time.

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Climate solution providers

Invests more in environmentally friendly companies and those tackling climate challenges like solar energy providers. The plan doesn’t simply avoid investment in heavy carbon emitters.

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Invest for your retirement

The Climate Plan aims to generate long-term financial returns on your investment. So, you can use your pension to support companies committed to reducing their carbon emissions as you save for your own future.

Beyond reducing carbon emissions

The main goal of the Climate Plan is to invest in companies committed to reducing their carbon emissions but it also goes further. The Climate Plan also excludes investing in other industries that harm the environment and society.

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palm oil;

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controversial, nuclear and other weapons;

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adult entertainment;

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alcohol;

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gambling;

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for-profit prisons;

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tobacco;

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recreational cannabis; and

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companies misaligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 6 to provide clean water and sanitation and SDG 7 to develop affordable and clean energy.

See the FAQ “What other industries and sectors are excluded from the Climate Plan?” for more details.

Ready to invest in the Climate Plan?

If you’re ready to use your pension to invest in companies taking action on their carbon emissions, sign up below.

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Get to know the Climate Plan

FAQs

Important: With investments, your capital is at risk. Pensions can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest.