Members earning above a £ 70 k threshold and those making additional voluntary contributions have some of their contributions paid into the Defined Contributions (DC) part of the scheme (also known as the Investment Builder part of the scheme).  Members can choose a range of funds for these contributions including an Ethical Fund and a Sharia Fund.  If you don’t express a choice these contributions go into a default fund that invests in fossil fuels, the banks that fund fossil fuels and other unethical investments. 

Pension contributions up the £ 70 k threshold go into the Defined Benefits (DB) part of the scheme and thus make up the bulk of USS’s investments.  Currently these include investments in oil and gas companies, banks that fund fossil fuels, fracking companies and weapons manufacturers.

For guidance on how to choose ethical funds for your DC contributions see https://www.uss.co.uk/for-members/your-pension-explained/investment-builder/choosing-your-investments