'Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health' - Take Action Now!

Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, an organization that works with pension members and beneficiaries to protect pensions and the planet, is calling for support to a groundbreaking initiative started by four young Canadians that aims to safeguard the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the savings of millions of Canadians by taking the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to court.

As Shift explains, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is supposed to protect the future of Canadians. But instead of protecting pensions, the national pension manager is ignoring the systemic risks of climate change and gambling billions on oil, gas, coal and pipelines. This could put the retirement savings of 22 million Canadians at risk in a world facing climate breakdown.

This landmark legal case argues that CPPIB is violating its legal duty to act in the best interests of contributors and future retirees, and putting our pensions and our planet at risk. Shift is taking action to tell the CPPIB to stop fuelling the climate crisis with our pensions, recommit to net-zero, phase out fossil fuel investments, and protect our financial future. You can learn more about the legal case here.

Want to take action? Sign their Online Action Tool at the button below! This will send a letter to CPPIB directors and senior leadership expressing your concern.

Shift is already working hard to:

• Build a movement of Canadians to push CPPIB to develop a credible climate strategy and end fossil fuel investments
• Demonstrate nationwide public support for the young Canadians taking CPPIB to court
• Establish a core group of supporters that can sustain a campaign to achieve CPP decarbonization
• Establish a list-serv to share news, updates, meetings and opportunities
• Determine public communications opportunities such as op-eds, letters to the editor, joint letters to CPPIB and engaging MPs and Senators
• Determine opportunities to engage directly with CPPIB investment managers, particularly the nationwide CPPIB public meetings expected to be scheduled in fall 2026
• Working on a 2025 Canadian Pension Climate Report Card to be released in January

Cheryl Randall, one of the organizers with Shift, recently presented at the two Climate and Your Cash dialogue sessions hosted by CAFES and the Glebe Community Association's Environment Committee on November 30th (in the Glebe) and December 12th (in Kanata). The Climate and Your Cash events were excellent opportunities for Ottawa residents to learn about the impacts of climate change on our personal finances and hear strategies for divesting from fossil fuels industries and re-investing into a zero-carbon future. Check out the post here to learn more about these excellent events!