On 5th -13th May 2017, thousands of people around the world will be taking part in a Global Divestment Mobilisation – to highlight the devastating impacts of our institutions investments in fossil fuels and demand they do the right thing: divest!
Whether you’re part of an existing campaign or looking to start one, the Global Divestment Mobilisation is a chance to stand together with people around the globe and demand action.
There are trainings, online workshops and resources to help. Here’s what some UK organisers have planned, and you can hear more at our Online Workshop on Monday 20th March.
Planning creative action in Bradford
Bradford and West Yorkshire has been badly affected by flooding in recent years, yet our local council remains heavily invested in fossil fuels. We’ll be bringing our ‘Renewable Ark’ right up to the town hall – to highlight the devastating impacts of climate change here and around the world, and demand they take action to divest the West Yorkshire Pension Fund.
We’ll be signing up new people to the campaign, inviting councillors along and piling on the pressure through the media.
Jane Thewlis, Bradford
Taking on oily sponsors
Fossil fuel companies have sponsored some of our iconic arts institutions for years, as a cheap way to clean up their reputations. But opposition is reaching fever pitch. During the Global Divestment Mobilisation we’ll be exposing the scandalous numbers behind Big Oil’s arts branding. Plans are also brewing for some creative disobedience, both in the UK and internationally, increasing the pressure on our museums, galleries and theatres to go fossil free.
Jess Worth, Culture Unstained (Art Not Oil coalition)
Turning up the heat in London
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan came into office exactly a year ago at the start of the Global Divestment Mobilisation, with a manifesto pledge to divest the London pension fund. Since then, Sadiq has taken little action and the fund has been exposed for investing further fossil fuel projects, like the Dakota Access Pipeline.
We’ll be using this moment to put pressure on Sadiq to keep his promise and divest London. We’ll be launching a large video campaign in the weeks up to GDM to encourage him announce that the fund will be divesting. In the event that he doesn’t, we’ll create a giant pipeline that winds it way outside his office with a bit of a media splash and forcing him to respond.
Gabriel Davalos, Divest London
Working with nurses to go fossil free
Because nurses care about people’s health, we care about climate change. This year my local branch of nurses hope be take a motion to Royal College of Nursing congress at the time of the Global Divestment Mobilisation, asking them to take a stand and divest from fossil fuels.
Alice Munro, nurse
Breaking off the Church of England’s engagement
The Church of England claims to be a responsible investors, and has a strong moral voice. It claims to understand the threat and urgency of climate change, yet instead of divesting from the biggest fossil fuel companies, they continue to engage. As part of the Global Divestment Mobilisation we’ll be inviting the Church Commissioners to a ‘broken engagement’ party, where we’ll highlight the impacts of climate change and call for more urgent action.
Caroline Harmon, Christian Climate Action
Fracking Barclays
Barclays are funding fracking in the UK. Their Annual General Meeting, and the biggest event in their financial calendar, is happening on 10th May during the Global Divestment Mobilisation. We’ll be inside the meeting, outside the meeting and probably in branches around the country demanding they divest from fossil fuels, starting with fracking.
Chayley Collis, Fossil Free Huddersfield
Building the campaign in Cambridgeshire
Would you want your pension invested in fossil fuel companies? As part of our campaign to divest the Cambridgeshire pension fund we’ve been working with local employees and fund members to demand change. During the Global Divestment Mobilisation we’ll be doing several events – including early morning office visits with cake – to engage more fund members, especially building our power and support in Peterborough.
Danette O’Hara, Fossil Free Cambridgeshire
Keeping up the pressure on campuses
As the divestment commitments from universities come in thick and fast, we’re approaching the milestone of a third of UK universities having made commitments. During the Global Divestment Mobilisation students will be increasing the pressure on those institutions falling behind the curve, as well as pressing Barclays to get out of fossil fuels, or off campus.
Hannah Smith, People & Planet
Getting divestment on the election agenda
The Global Divestment Mobilisation coincides with the local elections in Scotland, and is an important moment to ask councillors to do the right thing. In the run up to elections, we’ve been lobbying candidates and asking them to commit to divestment. During the Global Divestment Mobilisation we’ll be organising more events – like our “Coffee and Political Change” sessions – to get together and make sure divestment is on all our new councillors radar.
Mathieu Munsch, Fossil Free Strathclyde
Taking action to Divest Parliament
I recently joined the ‘Divest Parliament’ campaign to divest the £600m MPs pension fund of fossil fuels, and emailed my local MP in Cornwall asking her to take part. Now I’m arranging to meet her during the Global Divestment Mobilisation with other constituents – hopefully to celebrate her divestment – or to have a conversation about climate impacts and why we need to act.
Calum Harvey-Scholes, Cornwall
Hear more about the powerful events being organised, and how you can get involved in our online workshop, 7pm, Monday 20th March: ‘Global Divestment Mobilisation – what’s happening in the UK?’
Find an event near you, or register your own on the Global Divestment Mobilisation website.