David and Goliath battles, about the little guy taking on a huge fight against all odds, have always intrigued me. Many of us are drawn to this scenario – one has only to look at the number of Hollywood movies that have capitalised on this sentiment – probably because so many of us have at some time in our lives felt done down by the big guys of the world, who wield the money and the power – but are not necessarily right.
I was sitting across from one such “David” this week. His name is Mark McVeigh, a 24-year-old Australian ecologist from Brisbane, a quiet, unassuming man, softly spoken with an easy smile. His easy demeanor belies his action: when Mark was just 22 he filed a lawsuit against a R40-billion Australian pension fund called REST, one of the top 150 pension funds in the world. Why? Because he is concerned that the pension fund is not taking climate change seriously when investing his money. Are they investing in fossil fuels, in coal, oil and gas? If so they would be putting his money into the very substances that are the main cause of global climate change. When Mark asked the pension fund for this information, they were not able to give him anything. Mark believes they have failed in their fiduciary duties and so took them to court. “In 2055 I will be 60 years old, living in a 2°C hotter climate change scenario – or worse – and that means increased droughts, increased fires, increased cyclones and the complete collapse of the Great Barrier Reef,” Mark said. There are some moments when something suddenly becomes real in a way you had not experienced before. Such was the moment when Mark spoke about being 60 in a future hot world. I could almost see it. By 2055 I will be ashes scattered to the wind, but this young man will be alive and living out his retirement in a world ravaged by global warming. It seems crazy that pension funds, banks and other major financial institutions are investing trillions of dollars into fossil fuels, instead of making climate change a priority and investing massively into things like renewable energy. The court case is still on the go, and the eyes of pension funds and other major investors around the world are watching, as it will set a precedent. Isn’t he a little intimidated by taking on this massively rich and powerful company, just one small guy on his own? Isn’t he getting a bit worn down by the case that has been dragging on for two years? That easy smile: “No, not really.” I admire him for taking on the Goliath battle, and I hope he wins. I suppose in a way he is doing what Gandhi advised: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
