February 5, 2014

Go Green Week

Next week thousands of students across the United Kingdom will be taking action on climate change as part of People & Planet’s Go Green Week (10-16 February)

This year, as Go Green Week coincides with Valentine’s Day, the UK student network will be calling on colleges, universities and politicians to break up with the fossil fuel industry. Throughout Go Green Week, which is in its 7th year, UK students will be organising film screenings, stunts and debates whilst signing Fossil Free Valentine’s day action cards that will be delivered in a coordinated mass action on Fossil Free Friday.

There are hundreds of great activities already planned, with over 80 campuses taking action during the week. Here are just a few highlights:

On Monday the University of Warwick group will be waiting patiently to hear the result of an all-student referendum on whether their Student’s Union will support fossil fuel divestment.

Students campaigning at the University of Warwick

On Wednesday Fossil Free Hull group are organising a Fossil Free sit in outside their library whilst the Fossil Free Glasgow group will deliver each of the almost 1000 names on their petition to the members of their University Court as they enter a meeting to discuss fossil fuel divestment (Glasgow looks likely to be the first university in Scotland to commit to divestment!)

Over in East Anglia, students are fired up by UEA management’s recent rejection of their divestment demands – they’ll be using Go Green Week to mobilise even more people in support and following the example set by US universities with a #rejectiondenied campaign.

University of East Anglia Fossil Free campaign launch

University of East Anglia Fossil Free campaign launch

And on Friday 14 February student groups in cities ranging from Manchester and Swansea to Birmingham will be handing over petitions calling for fossil fuel divestment to their Vice Chancellors, asking them to urgently review their financial links to the industry responsible for fuelling the climate crisis.

UK universities currently invest £5.2bn into the fossil fuel industry, meanwhile one third of current UK government ministers have links to dirty money from coal, oil and gas companies and those bankrolling the industry. Our universities and politicians have made public commitments to averting climate change. This Go Green Week it’s time for them to live up to those promises.

We’ve also heard that students across the Netherlands and as far afield as Kenya will be taking part in Go Green Week. We call on all Fossil Free campus campaigns around the world to join us.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

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