Climate change is accelerating. We are witnessing the increasing effects of a warming planet more and more consistently. In this last year alone countries have experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, floods and hurricanes, which have impacted millions of people. Scientific experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. 200 publicly-traded companies hold 95% of the world’s proven coal, oil and gas reserves. Together they hold five times more carbon in their fossil fuel reserves than we can safely afford to burn if we are to avoid runaway climate change. From Canada’s dirty tar sands to Arctic drilling and even hydraulic fracking for shale gas here in the UK - the fossil fuel industry is causing enormous environmental and human devastation. Withdrawing our institution’s financial and moral backing for this climate-wrecking industry is crucial to tackling climate change. We believe that if it’s wrong for companies to destroy our climate for profit, then it’s wrong for the University of Chester to profit from their businesses. Our University should be a role model in society, acting responsibly and helping create a safe future that is better for everyone. As a University guided by Christian values, we also have a duty to protect the poorest and most vulnerable communities in our society, who are disproportionately affected by the negative consequences of climate change. All investments make statements about our desired future. We want the University of Chester to make a clear and unequivocal statement in support of the environment by divesting from the fossil fuel industry. We believe such action will not only be a sound decision for our institution's financial portfolio, but also for the well-being of its current and future graduating classes, who deserve the opportunity to graduate with a future not defined by climate chaos. Please sign our petition to show your support for a fossil free University of Chester!

If it’s wrong to wreck the climate, then it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage, right? As emphasized in recent reports from the IPCC, international efforts must be significantly enhanced in order to remain below a 2°C limit of global warming, with risks of abrupt or irreversible climate consequences increasing with the magnitude of warming. Without dramatic reductions in carbon emissions the rate of climate change will have numerous detrimental effects. Environmental effects include sea level rise, more severe and prolonged droughts and floods, increase in number and intensity of hurricanes and storms, loss of biodiversity, decrease in fresh water availability and many more. These also have huge social and economic consequences with developing countries that are least responsible for these effects being most vulnerable and least capable of managing and adapting to the effects. Ultimately climate change will impact us all, therefore, it is clear that climate change mitigation must become a priority and we cannot allow the fossil fuel companies to continue with business as usual. The vast majority of fossil fuel reserves need to remain in the ground and this message must be reinforced! UK universities are deeply entangled in the fossil fuel industry. They currently invest up to £5.2 billion in the industry depending on the university, with money from their pension funds and endowments. Not only are universities financially supporting the fossil fuel industry, they are giving it a social licence. Universities are meant to be a bastion of forward thinking and life changing research in our society. Therefore, to invest in fossil fuels goes completely against this in every way. It is not just financial investments; too many UK universities also support the fossil fuel industry directly through their research and their partnerships with some of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world like Shell and BP.

The world is changing. Global climate change is quickly slipping out of our grasp. Our unchecked attack on the natural world has caused incalculable damage to ecological systems, economic prosperity and human life. As we continue to pollute our world, we only sink deeper into a grave of our own making. In the face of accelerating climate change and environmental degradation, a new vision of modern life has emerged. Across the board, new initiatives are being developed to create and sustain a world that is devoid of fossil fuels. The leading edges in technology, architecture, agriculture and human resources coalesce in the determination to create a civilization that is compatible with the Earth’s natural systems. Beneath the exterior of despair lie a quiet optimism and the opportunity to have a hand in the creation of our future. We therefore think that it is not only our university’s responsibility to divest any fossil fuel assets they may own, but it is in their own self interest. As the world adapts to these new ideas, we believe that there is a great opportunity for Saint Francis Xavier University to capitalise financially on these emerging industries while taking the lead among Canadian universities in sustainable development.

Om världen ska klara de klimatmål som forskare enats om krävs att fyra femtedelar av all kol, olja och gas stannar under jorden. Detta betyder att offantliga summor pengar som fossilindustrin räknar som sina tillgångar, är pengar som inte får realiseras - en "fossilbubbla". Investeringar i fossila bränslen är både oetiskt, ohållbart och oekonomiskt. Och framförallt är det att sätta ungas framtid på spel! Vi studenter på Stockholms Universitet vill visa att vi ställer oss bakom en ansvarsfull placering av de pengar som finansierar vår utbildning! SU har tagit en del steg mot att verka för hållbar utveckling. Vi vill uppmärksamma att även vart pengar investeras har stor betydelse för vilka värden skolan kommunicerar och vilka verksamheter den stödjer. Just nu finns en del av de pengar som SU förvaltar i just fossilindustrin. Denna fråga har uppmärksammats på flera andra universitet och högskolor i Sverige, och är en del av en större internationell kampanj. Vi vill se att SU går före i denna utveckling! Studenter kan och borde påverka sin skola i en hållbar riktning! Skriv på för att stödja kampanjen! Vill du bidra till utvecklingen ännu mer och engagera dig i Fossil Free Stockholms Universitet? Du hittar vår grupp här: https://www.facebook.com/groups/468295489937530/

How much money does Surrey invest in the fossil fuel industry (Coal, Oil & Gas) ? ~£44 million - Total Uni Endowment ~£4 million - Invested directly in stocks and shares (subset of £89m long term investments). ~£156,000 - Invested directly in fossil fuel companies (subset of £4m). ~£176,000 - Invested indirectly in fossil fuel industry (subset of £4m). Our university and governments worldwide have committed to keeping global warming below 2 degrees. To have a chance of staying below 2 degrees we need to not emit more than 565 Gigatons CO2 globally. The fossil fuels industry has over 2790 Gigatons of proven reserves (5x more than we can safely burn). Reason for Divesting: 1. Financial Risks : - The University risks losing a large proportion of its investments as fossil fuel industry assets become stranded and worthless (between 60-80% of proven reservesmust stay underground in order to stay below 2°C global warming) - Renewable energy is a much safer (profitable) long term investment. 2. Environmental risks : - Reducing dependance on finite resources - Climate change is advancing faster than we can physically adapt (food safety, floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events). - We are enduring the direct consequences of climate change now and will be seeing much more within our lifetimes. - The sooner we reduce our carbon emissions, the more chances we will be able todeal with climate change risks. 3. Moral reasons : - If we already have 5x more coal, oil & gas reserve than we can burn, why invest in fossil fuels industry to find more reserves ? - Responsibility to future generations - The university should invest in progress not regression - If it's wrong to wreck the climate (planet we're dependant on) it's wrong to profit of that wreckage. - Student & local area could benefit from uni's investment rather than foreign companies & rich businesses. - It's hypocritical for universities to invest in fossil fuels and claim to care about student futures and be a 'green university' The University of Surrey was also described as having "awful performance" in People & Planet's Green League for getting the score of 1/10 in Carbon Reduction. Since 2005, the University has increased its greenhouse gas emissions by 8.8%. http://peopleandplanet.org/green-league-2013/tables?ggl13profile=10010&test=e5c8a2 http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/fossil-free/knowledge-power-report.pdf http://platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/DegreesofCapture.pdf http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719 http://gofossilfree.org/resources/ Carbon Tracker Report - http://www.carbontracker.org http://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/research/stranded-assets/index.html?content=publications http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/fossil-free-uk-universities http://www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/go-green-society/Pages/FOSSIL-FREE-UK.aspx http://www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/go-green-society/SiteAssets/Pages/FOSSIL-FREE-UK/Fossil%20Free%20horizontal%20transparent%20background.png

█████████████████████████████ ➽➽➽ Burning fossil fuels causes CLIMATE DESTABILIZATION ➽ Stocks in fossil fuels are OVER-VALUED & UNSUSTAINABLE ➽➽ Divestment makes FINANCIAL + ETHICAL sense for U of T █████████████████████████████ To avoid dangerous climate destabilization the world needs to urgently move from carbon-intensive fossil-fuel production to carbon-neutral energy production. Fossil fuel companies have more than five times the reserves of carbon than can safely be burned, yet they continue to search for more reserves and increase their emissions. The high stock value of fossil fuel companies also rests on the dubious assumption that all of these fuels will be burned. In a world where fossil fuel production and consumption must be curtailed these stocks are significantly over-valued and divestment makes both financial and ethical sense. The University of Toronto is heavily invested in fossil-fuel companies, with a significant portion of its ~$1.5 billion endowment devoted to this unsustainable industry. The danger of climate destabilization obliges us to transition away from fossil fuels in the very near future.

Climate change has been described as the most serious challenge of our generation. Under the United Nations Copenhagen Accord, countries have agreed to limit warming to 2 degrees to prevent dangerous climate change. Moreover, investing in fossil fuels poses a serious financial risk. According to recent research led by Professor Lord Stern at LSE, two-thirds of current fossil fuels reserves are unburnable if climate change is to be kept to the globally-agreed limit of 2 degrees of warming [3]. In this regard, we call upon the Endowment Fund Board to issue explicit guidance to ensure the funds are divested away from fossil fuels, for the sake of current and future generations. References: [1] FOI Request [2] People & Planet, Platform, 350.org: http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/fossil-free/knowledge-power-report.pdf [3] Carbon Tracker Initiative Report (Carbon Tracker & The Grantham Research Institute, LSE) : http://www.carbontracker.org/wastedcapital

A global wide political agreement was made to limit global temperature rises to 2°C [1]. To ensure warming does not exceed this 2°C target, it has been calculated that a maximum of 565 gigatons CO2 can be emitted into the atmosphere [2]. The fossil fuel industry currently holds carbon reserves that are 5 times larger than what it is safe to emit into the atmosphere. In addition, this industry is actively trying to discover new reserves in environmentally sensitive regions [2]. It is imperative that 80% of these reserves remain untapped in order to mitigate climate change. The fossil fuel industry is currently committed to exploiting the full capacity of these reserves and in doing so will contribute further irrevocable damage to the environment. King's College London has a stated aim of providing “economic, social and cultural value to society” [3]. As of August 2013, King's College London has investments of at least 8 million pounds in fossil fuel companies, including Shell, Exxon Mobil, Rio Tinto, Centrica, PetroChina, and China Petroleum [4]. With this knowledge it is unethical to profit from the actions of the fossil fuel industry via the College’s endowment-linked investments. Moreover, this financial position is likely to go against the beliefs and values of the vast majority of its students and staff. References [1] COP 15 https://unfccc.int/meetings/copenhagen_dec_2009/meeting/6295.php [2] http://www.carbontracker.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/08/Unburnable-Carbon-Full1.pdf [3] Page 5 from: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/strategy/2006-16StrategicPlan.pdf [4] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/endowment_fund#incoming-416743

With over 395 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, climate change is already unavoidable. In our warmer world we are going to pay the price for the avarice and ignorance of earlier generations. As a supposedly sustainable institution, we can no longer afford to invest in fossil fuels. Juniata College's seal reads, “Veritas Liberat”, meaning the truth frees. The truth is, climate change is the greatest threat facing our generation, and it is time for Juniata College to take action.

Dear Members of the Head-Royce Board of Trustees: The United Nations and the international scientific community have agreed that a rise in global temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius would lead to catastrophic runaway climate change. That rise would be triggered by the emission of approximately 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide. According to the Carbon Tracker Initiative, the proven reserves of the world’s fossil fuel companies total 2,795 gigatons of carbon dioxide. At present, the fossil fuel industry plans to extract, sell, and burn those reserves in their entirety. This creates a future that is terrifying and unacceptable to us as students and citizens of the Head-Royce community. Fossil fuel companies absolutely must change their behavior if we are to hold out hope for long, healthy, and safe lives for ourselves and our children. Since our political system has been ineffective in taking a stand against the fossil fuel industry, we have turned to our academic institution. As you all know, parts of the Head-Royce endowment are invested in the fossil fuel industry. We find this incompatible with the school’s mission. The first goal of the current strategic plan is “to strengthen our initiatives to become a sustainable, model green school in all areas of program, operations, finance and facilities.” If we aspire to be a model green school in any area, but particularly in the realm of finance, Head-Royce must divest from the fossil fuel industry. The school also has a moral imperative to divest. If it is wrong to destroy the climate, it is also wrong to profit from that destruction. Divestment is a prudent financial choice. According to a Citigroup report released in March, global oil demand could peak within seven years. Bernstein & Co. assert that coal demand is already falling in every country except China, and demand there will begin to fall within four years. With the recent increase in concerns about a carbon bubble, or the overvaluation of fossil fuel companies due to the erroneous belief that all of their reserves are burnable, we feel that the endowment would be better invested elsewhere. The benefits of divestment could also reach far beyond its environmental impact. Divestment would generate positive press for the school, potentially eliciting better relations with the local community, increased alumni and outside donations, and an even better reputation amongst potential applicants and their families. Furthermore, divesting from fossil fuels is the most important action Head-Royce can currently take to fight climate change. According to a University of Oxford study published this October, "the outcome of the stigmatisation process, which the fossil fuel divestment campaign has now triggered, poses the most far-reaching threat to fossil fuel companies" (Ansar et al. 2013). The dozens of institutions and municipalities that have already pledged to divest, including the cities of San Francisco and Seattle, have begun the process of removing the social license of the fossil fuel industry and drawn attention to the carbon bubble. A pledge from you in the coming year would make Head-Royce the first secondary school in the country to divest from fossil fuels, constituting another important step in the movement and inspiring our peer institutions to follow suit. You have a fiduciary responsibility to the members of our community, an obligation that we know you do not take lightly. That obligation entails making the best choices for the future of Head-Royce’s students. Addressing climate change is the most important action you can take to safeguard our futures. We therefore request that the investment committee immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies, even if that means moving the endowment into different mutual funds, and divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds. Sincerely, Dylan Carlson and Thomas Peterson Upper School Student Body Co-Presidents

Loughborough's endowment fund (http://alumni.lboro.ac.uk/page.aspx?pid=1062), with one part funded by alumni to benefit generation upon generation of students through the interest the fund earns, should not do so at the expense of our planet. If it is wrong to wreck the climate, then it is wrong to profit from that wreckage. Too many UK universities support the fossil fuel industry directly through their research, their endowments and investments and their partnerships with some of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world like BP and Shell. UK students have decided to take on the fossil fuel industry by getting our universities to go Fossil Free. People & Planet is joining forces with the 350.org campaign that has been sweeping across North American campuses. We believe that our educational institutions should serve the public good and live up to their promises to tackle climate change. No UK university in their right mind would accept funding from or invest their funds in tobacco companies these days - it’s inconsistent with their research on cancer. The same holds true for fossil fuel companies causing climate change and yet most universities still do not recognise this. That’s about to change! 200 publicly-traded companies hold the vast majority of the world’s proven coal, oil and gas reserves. Those are the companies we’ll be asking our institutions to break their links with. Together they hold five times more carbon in their fossil fuel reserves than we can safely afford to burn to stop runaway climate change. It’s that simple…if you do the maths. From Canada’s dirty tar sands to Arctic drilling and hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) for shale gas - the fossil fuel industry is scraping the bottom of the barrel and causing huge environmental and human devastation in the process. Withdrawing our institutions’ financial and moral backing for this climate-wrecking industry is crucial to tackling climate change.

It has been proven that going beyond a 2oC increase in global temperatures would lead to catastrophic climate change. In order to attain this 2oC increase, scientists have calculated that we would have to burn around 565 gigatons of carbon. It may seem like a lot... However, the fossil fuel industry currently holds 2795 gigatons of carbon in reserves which is 5 times more than is safe to burn. At current rates of consumption we would hit a 2oC increase in global temperatures in 16 years. The planet is our home, and pumping the atmosphere with CO2, methane and other fossil fuel driven gases will increase global temperatures which will cause the icecaps to melt resulting in rising sea levels. The effects our devastating on our humanity as it will destroy our habitat and will also lead to climate change refugees seeking resources that are no longer there. Burning fossil fuels is not only bad for the atmosphere, but also the seas and oceans, whose acidity is going up, threatening its delicate ecosystems like coral reefs and the Gulf stream which we rely on for our UK climate. The impact could be catastrophic as it could lead to the stagnation of our oceans. UK universities currently invest £5.2 billion in the fossil fuel industry. Did you know that is equal to approximately £2000 for every student? Do you really want your university's money to be invested in this industry? Or would you rather it went towards a more sustainable future, one in which we all have a future. The University is supposed to be a bastion of forward thinking and life changing research in our society. Investing our money in the fossil fuel industry goes completely against this. The fossil fuel industry is wrecking our planet so why should our University profit from such a wreckage? Hopefully you will understand why it is so important that our University pulls its investments out of the fossil fuel industry.