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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ben Butler

Australian super funds include fossil fuels in ‘sustainable’ options, investor activists say

Market Forces Mercer Rest Shell Brett Morgan British Petroleum Coal Siemens Woodside BHP
The Shell oil refinery near Cologne, in Germany. The fossil fuel company is included in portfolios labelled ‘sustainable’ by super funds Mercer, CareSuper and Vision Super, activists claim.
The Shell oil refinery near Cologne, in Germany. The fossil fuel company is included in portfolios labelled ‘sustainable’ by super funds Mercer, CareSuper and Vision Super, activists claim. Photograph: Ying Tang/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

Super fund investment options that are billed as “sustainable” or “socially responsible” are continuing to back fossil fuel companies, including coal producer Whitehaven and the major oil and gas groups, according to new research by activist group Market Forces.

But superannuation funds have rejected the analysis, saying their sustainable funds have been assessed as true to label.

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