Aviva was put on the spot at a green-finance event in the City today by campaigners who accuse the company, which has put green and responsible investing at the heart of its funds business, of not moving quickly enough on a request to go fossil-fuel free.

The dispute involves the pension fund for the actors’ union, Equity. A campaign led by Oscar-winner Mark Rylance and nine-time Olivier Award nominee Zoë Wanamaker first urged the scheme to sell out of coal, oil, gas and other carbon-polluting industries in 2017.