August 17, 2017

Nine more universities join the #fossilfree movement!

Report on the state of fossil fuel divestment in the university sector released today by People & Planet and the NUS.

For full blog, see the People & Planet website.

People & Planet and the National Union of Students (NUS) announced today that over a third of universities in the UK have made fossil free commitments, as nine new UK universities have committed to never invest in fossil fuel companies. This brings the total number of institutions which have taken action to exclude fossil fuel companies to 54.

New UK commitments

The nine new commitments were made by Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Chester, University for the Creative Arts, University of Cumbria, Newman University, Glyndŵr University, York St John University, Writtle University College and the University of Winchester. These institutions currently do not have endowment funds and no current investments in fossil fuel companies. Vice-Chancellors at these institutions have all made a public commitment to never invest in the fossil fuel industry by signing a Fossil Free Declaration.

The Fossil Fuel Declaration was composed jointly by People & Planet and NUS. In signing the declaration, universities commit to never investing in fossil fuels, stating that they have a duty to safeguard all students – present and future, including those from communities in the Global South who face the worst impacts of climate change.

Professor Tim Wheeler, Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester said:

‘Universities exist for the public good, from conducting life-changing research to educating the global citizens and leaders of tomorrow, and they are also at the forefront of climate change research. We have students studying with us from across the world, many of whom come from communities who are already feeling the effects of, and are on, the front lines of climate change. We want to protect the future of all of our students – current and future, locally and globally.’

The state of the sector

There have been discussions on whether universities should divest on over 100 campuses. At seventy eight of these institutions discussions have reached the level of senior management. Campaigners believe that by the end of the 2017/18 academic year over half of UK universities will have fossil free commitments in place.

Andrew Taylor, Co-Director Campaigns and Communication, People & Planet said:

‘The richest universities in the UK are turning their backs on fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell. So are some of the least wealthy. This shows that across the sector there is a strong desire to be on the right side of history when it comes to climate justice.’

As reinvestment discussions become more of a focus at institutions committing to divest from fossil fuels, students are still pushing for strong action; opening up dialogue on creating a more democratic energy system and including such solutions as community energy initiatives on campus.

Globally, the Republic of the Marshall Islands has the largest proportion of divested universities (100%) with its sole institution the College of the Marshall Islands committing to fully divest its £0.017 billion endowment. Next come the UK with 54 institutions (36%) taking action to screen fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolios.

At the time of their commitment, College of the Marshall Islands student campaigner Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner said:

‘Everyone likes to say the Pacific is small – but it’s not. Our ocean that connects us is as vast as our people and our histories. While the landmass of our islands themselves may seem small, businesses for the banks here is profitable and growing. It’s a moral imperative that as banks continue to grow in the region they must side with the people, not the polluters.’

For more in depth analysis of the state of the higher education sector and fossil fuel divestment, see this Times Higher Education article: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-fossil-fuel-divestment-total-tips-ps80-billion-globally

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