A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, known as the Peoples Annual General Meeting (PAGM), has called on the Pensions Board of the Church of England to compensate Niger Delta communities before divesting from oil and gas companies, such as Shell Petroleum, that are not adequately addressing de-carbonisation in line with the Paris Agreement.
David Ugolor, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and convener of PAGM, emphasized that the Church has a responsibility to address the injustices suffered by communities in the Niger Delta resulting from its investments in oil companies operating in Nigeria. He urged the Church to support the quest for justice and contribute to paying for the loss and damage experienced by affected communities, as agreed upon during the CoP27 meeting on climate change.
Ugolor commended the Church for its planned divestment from Shell Petroleum and other companies that do not align with the Paris Agreement. He stated that the Church’s commitment to divestment has placed it on the side of the people.
Taiwo Otitolaye, the National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay, Nigeria, and co-chair of the PAGM platform, called on other major investors in oil and gas companies, including Norges Bank Investment Management, Vanguard, Blackrock, Legal and General Investment Management, to follow the example set by the Church of England Pensions Board to prevent an impending climate catastrophe.
The PAGM’s call for compensation and divestment stems from a protest held in May 2022 at Shell’s office in Lagos, where a letter was sent to the Church of England’s Headquarters in London demanding divestment from Shell.
