History of the Divest Oregon Coalition

October 2025: Two reports by Divest Oregon were released: "Just Transition and the Oregon Treasury" focused on just transition as it relates to public pension funds, specifically the Oregon PERS, and "Oregon Treasury’s Investment Screening Fail" focused on PERS Fossil Fuel Investments that fund human rights violations, community destruction, and climate chaos.

August 2025: Oregon journalists focus on overallocation of PERS funds to private equity. Divest Oregon followed up with additional information.

June 2025: Oregon Treasury's Climate Resilience Investment Act - CRIA (HB 2081) passes and is signed into law.

June 2025: Divest Oregon's Climate Risk Review is released, exploring 200 pieces of climate, economic, and investment research on the risks of climate change on investments.

February 2025: Coalition members lobbied for SB 681 (The Pause Act) at the Oregon Capitol.

January 2025: Divest Oregon's US Net Zero Plan Comparison is released.

April 2024: Oregon Treasurer Candidate Forum had largest gathering of Oregonians to listen to candidates discuss the Oregon Net-Zero plan and other topics.

March 2024: The COAL Act (HB 4083) passed legislature, supported by the Treasurer, and signed by Governor Kotek. The 3rd state legislature to pass a divestment law.

February 2024: Treasurer Read released Oregon Net-Zero Plan. One of the first in the US.

Summer/Fall 2023: Treasurer Roundtables regarding Net Zero Plan.

April 2023:  Divest Oregon published report entitled, "Oregon Treasury’s ESG Investment Failure" highlighting the PERS Fossil Fuel Investments that Fund Human Rights Violations, Community Destruction, and Climate Chaos.

January 2023: HB 2601 Treasury Investment and Climate Protection Act is introduced in the Oregon Legislature.

November 2022: Divest Oregon's Right to Know campaign is launched.

November 2022: "Oregon Treasury's Private Investment Transparency Problem" report published.

July 2022 and January 2023: Oregon Treasury released Climate Risk reports highlighting the financial risk fossil fuels pose to the portfolio.

April 2022:  "Risky Business: Oregon Treasury's Fossil Fuel Problem" report published. Many media outlets released reports about the significant fossil fuel holdings by the Oregon State Treasury.

January - March 2022: HB 4115 Treasury Transparency Bill is introduced in the Oregon Legislature, passes the House floor vote, and runs out of time, opposed by the Oregon Treasury.

December 2021: Op-Ed was published about the Treasury Transparency Bill by Co-Chief Sponsors Pham, Holvey & Golden, stating that Oregon must disclose and divest from fossil fuels.

November 2021: A Washington Post article titled, "Liberal Oregon resists dropping controversial investments” (carried in most Oregon media outlets), exposed the lack of transparency of the Treasury and their inability to get rid of troublesome private equity  assets. 

September 2021: The formal campaign launch of Divest Oregon occurred with 30 coalition organizations which quickly expanded to 80 organizations around the state by December 2021.

August 2021: A Public Records Request was made to the Treasury for all holdings. On December 9, 2021, the holdings were finally released.

July 2021: Initial coalition workgroups were formed.

June 2021: Treasurer Read was interviewed by Dave Miller on OPB’s Think Out Loud in an interview called "Will Oregon Divest from Fossil Fuels?"