EAST Sussex Pension Fund’s investment in fossil fuel companies, as uncovered by an Argus investigation, is totally out of step with the current mood surrounding climate change.

When schoolchildren are going on strike to demand action on the climate, it is clear that we should all be doing more to stem the tide of climate breakdown.

So to hear £8 million of pension fund money is invested in petrochemical firms ExxonMobil and Phillips 66 is very disheartening.

Almost 75,000 workers pay into East Sussex’s pension scheme, whether they work at councils, schools, or the University of Brighton.

Every one of them has the right to be angry that their pay is being used to finance companies profiting from the destruction of the planet.

We are all told to do the little things to help save the Earth, such as recycling more or picking up litter. And yes, these things certainly help reduce waste in our city.

But look at the facts and it is clear firms like ExxonMobil are hugely responsible for the climate crisis that confronts us.

You may agree or disagree on whether the Government should clamp down on these companies, but investing councillors’ pensions in them certainly does not help matters.

Pension funds may have a responsibility to generate as much money as possible for the workers who pay into them, but sooner or later they must realise their environmental responsibility as well.

Brighton and Hove City Council declared a climate emergency last year.

Now we will have to see if it acts on it.