Maine Governor Janet Mills signed the bill late on Wednesday
Maine has made history by becoming the first US state to sign into law a commitment to divestment from fossil fuels. Governor Janet Mills signed the bill late on Wednesday. The new legislation instructs the state’s $17 billion public employee pension fund to divest $1.3 billion from coal, oil, and gas interests within the next five years, and the Treasury to do the same with other state monies. The Maine State Legislature voted to pass the bill earlier this month. “If Maine can divest responsibly and thoughtfully, there are no more excuses for any other pension fund and legislature in the USA,” said Richard Brooks from Stand.earth, a grassroots environmental organization which is coordinating the national Climate Safe Pensions Network. “It is past time for every other public pension to address the mounting climate risk in their portfolios by holding onto fossil fuel investments. These are a ticking time bomb and fiduciaries must act.”
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