Doug Burnett | Portland, OR
Feb 6-20, 2024—thousands joined a virtual march down Wall Street to get every American a 401(k) option that doesn’t invest in Big Oil. It was seen over 26M times, with 25+ celebrities and 30+ nonprofits joining us.
For 99% of America, if you want a 401(k), you're forced to invest in Big Oil. We got loud and Wall Street took notice. This march was step one of many we are taking to turn unified collective action into a significant divestment from fossil fuels in America's 401(k)s. Sign up to join the next collective action for change.
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This is how we marched.
Uploaded a selfie
We uploaded a selfie to an app.
Generated a photo
The app made several different photos for people to choose from.
Shared on social
People picked their favorite and shared it on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
People who marched
19%
99%
16
22
big oil is bad for your wallet
10-year volatility of each sector of the economy.
Source: Performance and volatility data from Sept 2014 to Sept 2023 for the ETFs with the following tickers: IYC, IYW, IYH, IYK, IDU, IYM, IYF, IYJ, and IYE. Inspired by the sector performance and volatility data presented by S&P Global for the decade from 2010 to 2020, here.
In financial lingo, the Energy sector is the fossil fuel industry. Every company in the Energy sector is a fossil fuel company. (Solar companies get classified under Tech). The Energy sector has been the lowest-performing industry of the past decade.
Here's the plan
This virtual march makes headlines.
Wall Street takes notice.
We coordinate our efforts into small doable monthly actions.
We inspire companies to add climate-safe options.
Billions of dollars are removed from Big Oil investments.
“the fossil fuel industry is genuinely freaked out by the divestment movement.”
NAOMI KLEIN
New York Times best selling climate author
Our Coalition
This virtual march has been organized by a coalition of non-profit, for-profit, and public benefit organizations that work to make climate-safe investment options available to everyone everywhere.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the virtual march down Wall Street?
The virtual march is protesting the forced investment in fossil fuel companies through American retirement savings plans. The goal is to convince the gatekeepers of 401(k) and 403(b) plans to offer climate-safe investment options and to raise awareness of how risky it is to invest in the fossil fuel industry.
Why is this march virtual, and how can I participate?
This is a virtual march so that anyone can participate from anywhere. To participate, you can upload a selfie, and we will generate a photo as if you were marching in person. You can share the photo and a caption with your family and friends, and on your social media feeds, to help spread awareness of the issue.
Why are 401(k) savings being targeted in this protest?
19% of all the investments in the fossil fuel industry comes from 401(k)s, where 99% of plan participants have no choice to invest otherwise. This march aims to challenge this system and advocate for climate-safe investment options, which avoid the investment risk associated with fossil fuel companies and will help us have a safe planet to enjoy during retirement.
I don’t have retirement savings. Can I still march?
Yes! The choices that people who are preparing for retirement make impact all of us, and you can absolutely make your voice heard on how you think they should invest. We will follow-up after the virtual march with real actions you can take to invest in a climate-safe way, and you can file those emails away for that day in the future when you start saving for retirement. In the meantime, you can share the emails with your family members or friends who do have retirement savings.
Who are the gatekeepers and why are they important in this context?
The gatekeepers are the financial advisors, platform companies, consulting firms, and lawyers who specialize in 401(k) and 403(b) plans, known as ERISA plans. They have been the biggest influencers in deciding what fund options are made available to employees in retirement plans, and many have prevented employers from offering climate-safe investment options when they have requested them.
How does the fossil fuel industry mislead savers?
The fossil fuel industry has invested billions in the past year alone to pass laws across the United States to prevent people from being able to avoid fossil fuel investments in their retirement savings. From the Senate floor to shows on Fox News, they have consistently told Americans that they have to make a choice between investing with their progressive values vs invest for good returns, ignoring the data that shows climate-safe investing has resulted in better returns. Why? Because 19% of all the investments in the fossil fuel industry comes from 401(k)s, and they are scared that if people are allowed to invest otherwise, they will lose a significant portion of those investments.
What is meant by volatility in investments, and why is it important?
In the financial industry, volatility refers to the degree of variation in the value of an investment. Higher volatility means higher risk, as the value of the investment can fluctuate significantly. Oftentimes investors choose to invest in more risky things, because those things offer better returns over the long term. In the case of the fossil fuel industry, it has been both the most volatile industry in the economy, as well as the industry that has offered the lowest returns over the long term. That is likely part of why big institutions ranging from the Harvard endowment to the Rockefeller Foundation have decided to stop investing in it. Individuals should have that option too.
Who is participating in this virtual march?
Anyone can participate from anywhere. The virtual march is organized by a coalition of organizations that work to get climate-safe investment options in retirement plans. You can see the list of participants in the coalition on the home page.
Can fossil fuel investments and sustainable practices coexist?
To achieve international climate goals, between two-thirds and four-fifths of fossil fuels must remain in the ground. But fossil fuel companies continue to pour money into extracting and selling fossil fuel reserves — all while actively expanding their operations. They have a tremendous financial incentive to delay the transition towards a sustainable society and to destroy legislation that might speed up the transition. People of color and low income communities suffer disproportionate harm from fossil fuel pollution and the discriminatory systems that have perpetuated these inequities. Black, Latinx, and low-income Americans are especially likely to live near unplugged oil and gas wells. The fossil fuel industry is a deeply racist, destructive, and dishonest institution that powers war, environmental destruction, and human rights violations. Even though the climate crisis is here, the industry continues to shut down legislation to mitigate global warming, and profits off of the public health crises it causes in frontline communities.
Does divesting make a difference?
Fossil fuel divestment—like divestment from tobacco stocks, weapons, or apartheid South Africa—is an organizing tactic that shines a spotlight on an issue. Our goal is to remove the social license of the fossil fuel industry. When funds own fossil fuel stocks, they contribute to the veneer of legitimacy that enables companies to keep expanding operations at a time of climate crisis and to stifle the demands for justice from the communities who live on the frontline of their destructive, polluting operations. The political influence of the fossil fuel industry is the single most powerful brake on legislation we need to transition to a sustainable society. By naming this industry's singularly destructive influence, we're working to break the hold the fossil fuel industry has on our economy and our governments.
How do I know if my 401(k) is invested in fossil fuels, and what can I do about it?
Review your 401(k) investment options and their holdings to identify any investments in the energy sector, which is primarily composed of fossil fuel companies. One great resource for seeing what a mutual fund is invested in is https://fossilfreefunds.org/. You can ask your HR for better options - sign up here if you want help learning how.
Why should I care where my 401(k) is invested?
How you invest your 401(k) has a bigger impact on the climate crisis than every other action you take in your life combined. That means you can buy an electric car, put solar panels on your car, stop eating beef, and never fly again, and you still will not reduce your footprint as much as if you stop investing in fossil fuel companies.
Who has stopped investing in fossil fuel companies?
Institutions that have stopped investing in fossil fuel companies include universities like Harvard and the University of California; pension fund giants such as PME and CDPQ; entire governments, including Ireland, Maine, and the city of San Diego; individuals from the Pope to the Rockefeller descendants; and financial institutions like the Ford and MacArthur Foundations.
