Trudy Harrison has called on the Parliamentary Pension Fund to drop investments in oil, coal and gas companies owing to concerns about climate change.

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison has signed the Divest Parliament Pledge, calling for the MPs’ Pension Fund to phase out its substantial holdings from fossil fuel companies, following a surgery meeting with cross-party constituents who expressed widespread concerns about climate change and the impacts of flooding in Cumbria.

The DPP campaign has also been supported by 175 cross-party MPs, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and a small but growing number of Conservative MPs including David Warburton, Justine Greening and Sarah Wollaston.

Mrs Harrison joined the campaign after a meeting with a group of cross-party constituents at her surgery on Saturday.

The group comprised Allan Todd (Allerdale and Copeland Green Party and Climate Campaign Group), Jo Alberti (Labour, and Keswick and District Fair Trade Campaign) and Elizabeth Barraclough (Liberal Democrat, Chair of Sustainable Keswick).

The last annual report for the MPs' Pension Fund revealed five out of the top 20 investments were in fossil fuel companies such as BP, Shell and Total.

The investments contrast with the UK government’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below two degrees.

Mrs Harrison, said: "I have long been an advocate for renewable energy generation.

"Cumbria, in particular, should be in a strong position to transform fuel poverty into fuel prosperity, given our abundance of natural energy resources.

"Having previously worked with communities to enable locally owned power generation, I’m keen to support further development for renewable energy in this way.”

Mr Todd said: “Cumbria has experienced the devastation that flooding causes three times since 2000.

"If MPs keep investing in fossil fuels through their pensions, they are supporting an energy system that is almost certain to cause more extreme weather as a result of climate breakdown, both here in Cumbria and throughout the world.

"Instead, they need to be investing in the technologies and workforce that will bring about a low-carbon economy. By agreeing to sign the pledge, Trudy Harrison has shown much more climate leadership than the present government”.

Ms Alberti, said: “Climate change is already impacting on millions of people in devastating and unjust ways across the globe.

"Trudy Harrison should be congratulated for backing the campaign to drop pension investments in fossil fuel companies, whose business practices continue to fuel climate chaos and are at severe risk to the people of Cumbria.”

Ms Barraclough, said: "After a year of sobering impacts from climate change, there is no room for continued investment in companies extracting fossil fuels that we cannot afford to burn, if we are to meet our climate obligations.

"I am delighted that Trudy Harrison has responded to the cross-party calls from constituents to pressure the MPs' Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuel companies.”

Climate scientists argue that keeping this commitment would mean leaving most known fossil fuel reserves in the ground.

Supported by the Divest Parliament campaign, UK citizens have been writing to and organising meetings with their MPs to raise awareness of the issue.