Divestment refers to the decision to sell investments in companies that do not meet a standard of social/environmental responsibility. By signing this petition, you join Fossil Free Marquette in requesting that Marquette University divests from fossil fuel companies on the grounds that their industry’s business practices (specifically, unrestrained carbon emissions and manufactured climate disinformation campaigns) are harmful to the planet and all its residents. By freeing our investment portfolio of fossil fuels, Marquette can accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, motivate other institutions to follow our lead, and to truly uphold the Jesuit principle of justice. The fossil fuel industry has acknowledged the climatological threats that entail from rising carbon emissions, even as far back as the 1960’s—however, instead of using their capital to reduce their emissions, they’ve spent billions greenwashing, lobbying against climate policies, and funding massive climate denial efforts. If we want to limit planetary warming to 1.5º C, atmospheric CO2 concentration needs to be kept under 350 parts per million (ppm); however, we’re currently at 415 ppm, and companies like Shell have openly admitted that they have no plans to reduce emissions until as late as 2050. Institutions around the world have already divested over $12 trillion to keep fossil fuel companies accountable for their lack of action. We ask that you sign this petition to show to the Marquette administration that its students, alumni, donors, and faculty demand fossil fuel divestment.

Climate change is accelerating. We are witnessing the increasing impacts of a warming planet more and more consistently; in this last year alone our country experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, and hurricanes, which impacted hundreds of thousands of people and cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars. Hurricane Sandy alone caused $50 billion in damages. Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years.

The University of Strathclyde prides itself of being 'the place of useful learning' - preparing its students for long and successful careers. Yet by holding £3.8m of investment in fossil fuel exploitation companies our University is betting against our future. We know that about two-thirds of known fossil fuel reserves cannot be burnt if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. These investments are either doomed, or we are. Join us in calling on the University to funnel its funds towards the climate solution.

Dear President, Board of Governors and the Chairperson: The below students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members have signed this petition to urge you to take a bold stand and divest the University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) Endowment Fund from fossil fuel investments.   We as a university must withdraw our support from an industry that is crippling the planet and instead support the rising renewable energy sector. We are pleased that UNBC has committed to strong sustainability goals. Divesting from fossil fuels would complement these goals and further ensure that education is not at the expense of the planet and future generations of students. The upcoming investment policy, written by the Investment Sub-committee, is a great opportunity to instigate change in investments and thereby support a safe and sustainable future. We believe that UNBC can and should be a leader of divestment in Western Canada, as “Canada’s Green University.” There is mounting evidence that investment portfolios focusing on renewable energy and socially responsible investments are competitive, if not superior in today’s market (1, 2). We call on you to: 1) complete an inventory of the endowment fund, and 2) remove all investments from fossil fuel companies as defined by the Fossil Free Index list of the Top 200 coal and oil & gas companies (3) by 2025. References 1. https://business.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/trending-divestment-movement-could-mean-big-opportunity-for-canadas-father-of-fossil-free-investing 2. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/10/fossil-fuel-divestment-funds-rise-to-6tn 3. https://gofossilfree.org/top-200/ The petition was edited and used to be addressed to President Weeks, Chairperson Wolsey and the respective Board of Governors. Currently, including Dr. Geoff Payne, Dr. Joseph Gosnell, Sr. , Mr. Aaron Ekman, Mr. Andrew Robinson, Ms. Allison Beswick, Mr. Joel McKay, Mr. Michael Reed, Mr. Gregory Stewart, Ms. Barbara Ward-Burkitt, Ms. Catherine Wishart, Dr. Darwyn Coxson, Dr. Paul Sanborn, Mr. Garfield Staats, Ms. Furqana Khan and Ms. Joyce Henley. Last edited on Oct 24, 2020.

Climate change is the most pressing problem of our time and fossil fuel companies cause a significant share of global carbon emissions. Hence, the transition to renewable energy resources is one of the most important steps to keep the global temperature-increase under the 2 degrees limit of the Paris Convention and is closely connected to investment policies. The social and environmental consequences of climate change are unequally distributed across the globe and among individuals. Investments legitimise the activities of fossil fuel companies that are related to complicity in human rights violations and environmental disasters. Divestment of the fossil fuel industry reflects the progressive values that Lucy Cavendish College aims to represent. The Guardian’s recent revelations* expose the influence of the fossil fuel lobby on the University’s decision to reject divestment last year. Lucy Cavendish College can, in accordance with its progressive values, express its disapproval of the collusion between the fossil fuel industry and the University of Cambridge by divesting. Investments in fossil fuel companies are economically unreliable because of volatile share prices. This is because such companies in the fossil fuel industry attract public scrutiny for their complicity in human rights violations and environmental disasters. Further, there is a volatile market-evaluation of natural resources. In the long run, this evaluation is expected to decrease significantly because of more efficient renewable energy sources and a decrease of the profitability of the fossil fuel industry. Divestment is feasible as fossil free funds have been shown to perform on par with or better than conventional investments. * https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/30/bp-and-bhp-offered-cambridge-university-millions-despite-calls-to-divest

We petition Clare Hall to divest because scientific evidence shows that catastrophic environmental breakdowns are imminent if drastic changes are not made very soon. Climate change is a matter of social justice and financial responsibility. Marginalized populations are already and will continue to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Divestment weakens fossil fuel companies’ social legitimacy and sends a message that ‘business-as-usual’ is unacceptable. We petition Clare Hall to recognize the social and financial value of divested portfolios. Fossil free funds have been shown to perform on par with or better than conventional investments. Managers experienced with ESG investing can help make this a feasible and financially responsible path. We support the proposal for divestment to also include targeted investing in businesses that promote sustainable environmental practices and better energy alternatives to fossil fuels. We also petition Clare Hall to divest because we believe that it would align with the College’s history of operating on progressive values, and its stated commitment to improving energy conservation and reducing our carbon footprint. Finally, we petition Clare Hall to divest because it represents an opportunity to join the 988 institutions already committed to divestment globally (combined worth $7.18 trillion), and to show leadership where our university has so far not done so. As more colleges consider taking similar action, we believe that Clare Hall can be a leading, influential voice in the local and international debate on divestment from fossil fuels, as one step in the broader challenge of addressing climate change. For sources and the full policy proposal document contact [email protected]

Climate change is accelerating. We are witnessing the increasing impacts of a warming planet more and more consistently; in this last year alone our country experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, and hurricanes, which impacted hundreds of thousands of people and cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars. Hurricane Sandy alone caused $50 billion in damages. Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years.

Investment in fossil fuel industries drives fossil fuel consumption and its negative social and environmental impacts. Burning coal, oil, and gas release CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, both warming and polluting the planet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if the status quo continues, the planet could warm by almost 5°C by 2100. This would have a catastrophic impact on human life. It would mean that our planet bears little resemblance to the one in which “civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted”, as James Hansen, a top climate scientist at NASA, put it. The second reason is that investment in these companies gives implicit support to their activities. It is a matter of social justice and duty that the University withdraw its investments in companies that actively contribute to global warming, the burden of which is being felt disproportionately by the world’s poorest countries, who are contributing least to climate change. Not only does this exacerbate global poverty, but it also perpetuates further social inequality between the global South and the global North. Divestment from fossil fuel firms will help remove fossil fuel companies’ social license to exploit the world's most impoverished nations. The third reason is that investment in fossil fuel companies runs contrary to the University’s environmental priorities. The University is pledging to reduce carbon emissions and embed sustainability into its business model and institutions' culture. It intends to be fully compliant with environmental legislation and promote environmental responsibility. On this basis and in light of the Paris agreement, we believe that we must act to help avert irreversible damage to ecosystems and life on earth. Fossil fuel companies are now subject to regulations aimed at preventing climate change. Recent research has shown that, if regulators are serious about mitigating climate change, a third of global oil reserves, half of all gas reserves, and over 80% of coal reserves will have to remain in the ground to limit global warming to 2ºC. This means fossil fuel firms would have to massively write down the value of assets on their balance sheets, leading to huge and sustained destruction in shareholder value. By divesting from fossil fuels, the University will join a long list of respected institutions already committed to going fossil free, which include over 50% of all UK universities (https://sustainability.nus.org.uk/divest-investold/articles/over-50-of-uk-universities-divest-from-fossil-fuels), including Goldsmiths, Bath Spa University, Manchester University, Oxford City Council, Trinity College, the World Council of Churches, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The global divestment campaign is growing, and together we can make a statement about how we want our future to look. We urge all students, alumni, staff and members of the public to sign the petition to support the divestment campaign at Birkbeck, and an end to social and environmental devastation. _________________________________ NOTE: This petition was updated on 25 February 2021 to reflect the latest available investment figures disclosed by Birkbeck in January 2021.

För svensk översättning, se nedan _____________________ Although Malmö University prides itself on being committed to sustainability, they invest in non-sustainable energy companies using non-renewable resources. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil create greenhouse gases which produce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide which are polluting our air. Other consequences of greenhouse gases are rising temperatures, climate change, melting glaciers and increased water levels. The time has come for Malmö University to put their money where their mouth is by breaking any ties with fossil fuels. _____________________ Trots att Malmö universitet utmärker sig själva som hållbara investerar de i ohållbara energiföretag som använder icke förnybara energikällor. Att bränna fossila bränslen som kol, naturgas och olja skapar växthusgaser som producerar koldioxid och kväveoxid som förorenar vår luft. Andra konsekvenser av växthusgaser är stigande temperaturer, klimatförändringar, smältande glaciärer och stigande vattenhöjd. Tiden är inne för Malmö universitet att sätta sina pengar där deras vision ligger genom att bryta alla band till fossila bränslen. For more information e-mail: [email protected]

Climate change, as caused by the emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, poses a huge threat to the livelihoods of billions of people on this planet. Extreme weather conditions, such as the massive floods, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and melting ice caps we have experienced in the last few years alone, are a clear sign that climate change must be taken seriously, and acted upon promptly. Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years. In such a dire situation, it is imperative that we, as an institution, do everything in our power to solve this issue.

It is recognised across the world that global temperatures must remain no more than 2°C higher than in pre-industrial times if climate change is not to destroy our entire way of life. For this to happen, study after study has demonstrated that 80% of currently known fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground. This view is endorsed by mainstream elements of society, from Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, to the United Nations. Companies like BP and Shell – and the University’s investments in them—are not part of a sustainable future, no matter how they, or the University, might pretend otherwise. Small investments in renewables are far outweighed by the catastrophic impacts of continued oil extraction. In universities around this country and the world, divestment is denying these companies their moral acceptability –. All moral and financial arguments point to the same thing – divestment from fossil fuels.

This is important because the University of Liverpool currently invests £12 million per year in the fossil fuel industry, which is 8% of their endowment. The time to reduce fossil fuel consumption is running out, and by not divesting, the University appears to be endorsing the actions of the fossil industry, and thereby failing to act on the issue of human-induced climate change. Climate change negatively affects the poorest most, and by not divesting from fossil fuels the University shows a callous disregard for the poorest populations and most vulnerable. The university is home to a leading institute for renewable energy research, yet they cannot actively be a world leader in green energy whilst funding the most polluting industry on earth. The students of this University clearly care about the environment and have created a movement within their Guild of Students to help implement a greener University (Green Guild). If this University wishes to abide by the active will of the student body, they will divest from this morally corrupt and ethically questionable industry without delay.