The Young Democrats (JDL), the Young Socialists (JSL), and the Young Greens issued a joint press release to address the investment strategies currently in place, which they believe are contributing to, rather than limiting, a general rise in temperatures.
Funding of the coal industry has moreover been increased in 2019.
Jeffrey Drui, representative of JDL, strongly criticises the approach of putting responsibility and financial pressure on individual citizens, while taxpayer money is used to further support harmful sectors: "On the one hand, we discourage and even punish the use of emission-heavy energy, but at the same time the administration keeps investing in those areas."
Another point of criticism is directed at the government's 2021 budget. The plan incentivises funds to adhere to the EU's sustainability regulations, but the administration itself does not take part in investment decisions.
Amir Vesali of JSL notes: "Sustainable projects made up 1.6% of the pension fund's total investment sum. While we welcome the initiative, we believe it is obvious that more can still be done in that area. In the long run, sustainability should account for at least 10% of all investments."
The three junior parties thus demand that stricter social criteria be applied for the investment strategies of the funds in question, as well as a complete withdrawal from the nuclear energy sector.
