Pigovian Levies and Brent Council

The Brent Times reports that Brent Council is still investing in fossil fuels "indirectly".  If you look at the story it seems to be based on an assumption, more bluntly a guess, rather than hard figures.  Yet, I am not sure how practicable it is do otherwise so long as Brent uses "pooled funds."  The funds will presumably follow an investment strategy for all their clients together, which is why the funds are "pooled".  If the Council want to disaggregate it will have to manage its own funds directly.


That said, I suspect this is one case where the market may be moving against companies that have bad pollution.  Sooner or later big extraction companies are going to face clean up bills.  Indeed in some jurisdictions there are already requirements such as bonds to put money aside for cleaning up once the extraction ceases.  There is also a some point in the future a likelihood that such companies will face a Pigovian levy to clean them up.  It may well be a lot smarter for an investor to get out before the regulators catch up with not just the local damage caused but also perhaps the longer term climate change damage.