The Royal Shakespeare Company is one of Britain's best-loved theatre companies. But the RSC's reputation is being tarnished by its decision to allow oil giant BP to sponsor its £5 ticket scheme for 16-25 year olds. BP's extraction of fossil fuels around the world is driving dangerous climate change and causing toxic oil spills. The company works with repressive regimes, fuels conflict and blocks clean energy alternatives. 16-25-year-old theatregoers should be able to see the plays they love without helping promote a company that is putting their futures at risk. BP provides less than 1% of the RSC's income. Other arts organisations, including Tate and Edinburgh International Festival, have moved away from oil sponsorship following pressure from artists, scientists and campaigners. The theatre company has the funds to do the right thing without putting the £5 ticket scheme – or any jobs – at risk. It's time the RSC brought the curtain down on its relationship with one of the world's most polluting companies. Many theatre stars have already endorsed a crowdfunded ethical alternative to the BP-sponsored scheme - Fossil Free £5 Tickets. So join Sir Mark Rylance, Vanessa Redgrave, Andrew Garfield, Emma Thompson, Maxine Peake, Tamsin Greig, Caryl Churchill, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon McBurney, Miriam Margolyes, Zoë Wanamaker, Vivienne Westwood, Jasper Britton and many others in calling on the RSC to find a more ethical alternative to oil sponsorship. This petition is being launched by Culture Unstained, a member of the Art Not Oil coalition, with support from Warwick Students' Union, the National Union of Students and People & Planet. To find out more about the Fossil Free £5 Ticket scheme, including getting hold of a ticket if you are aged 16-25 or donating to the crowdfunder, see cultureunstained.org/fossilfreetix

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 Students’ Union recently received a response to their freedom of information request Ulster University on their investment portfolio. We had inquired as to Ulster University’s direct investments through Innovation Ulster and those made indirectly through it’s Endowment Fund. It was found that the University invests its Endowment Fund through the Rathbones Active Income and Growth Fund. Without taking into consideration the fund’s direct investments, and bearing in mind that the total amount of money Rathbones are managing for the University is over £7 million, it has invested approximately £80,000 in fossil fuel companies such as Dutch Shell and BP. Furthermore, the University also have significant investments in the tobacco industry (Over £26,000) and most worryingly in the arms industry (£13,000). In this current climate we believe this money should be invested into student facilities and more sustainable alternatives.

At the moment, there is no policy in place which stops our University investing in Fossil Fuels. We want this to change. Even though there are no investments at the moment, doesn't mean they won't in the future. We believe that it is incredibly hypocritical that an institution entrusted to prepare its students for the future should not profit from destroying it at the most fundamental level. As a forward thinking, up and coming university, is it right for Falmouth to profit from such morally questionable industries? If you are a student, academic, alumni or a concerned citizen who feels that Falmouth University should be challenged on this issue please add your signature to this petition and contact Divest Penryn to become more actively involved in this campaign!

If it’s wrong to wreck the planet, then it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage. The movement to divest from fossil fuels has always hinged on a fundamentally moral argument: Investment in the fossil fuel industry is wrong. Climate change is unjust. These are precepts that Christians and non-Christians alike can agree on. In the past two years, hundreds of universities, cities, and faith communities have rallied around the idea of fossil fuel divestment, calling on institutions to align their investments with their moral principles and send a clear symbolic message: The actions of this industry are incompatible with a liveable planet, and we are taking a stand against it.

The New England Aquarium is a vital institution in our community that works to educate the public about climate change and its impacts. As patrons of the New England Aquarium, we are proud of its strong commitment to combating climate change. We encourage the aquarium to take the next step as a role model by becoming the first aquarium in the world to divest from fossil fuels. The fossil fuel divestment movement has grown rapidly over the last five years to undermine the destructive influence of the fossil fuel industry, which disproportionately burdens the health, livelihoods, and lifespans of people of color and low-income people. Through divesting, the aquarium will further its mission to support the community, to act as a leader, and to create a sustainable blue planet for all people and marine wildlife.

The North Yorkshire Pension Fund Committee could, like a growing number of other Local Authority-administered Pension Funds, adopt a strategy of steady 'divestment and re-investment'. This means moving away from investing in an increasingly unstable and more costly fossil fuel dependency towards a cleaner, cheaper and ultimately more profitable renewable future, which will enable local communities across North Yorkshire and beyond to benefit. To help achieve this, we are asking the Pension Fund Committee to: 1. Freeze any new investment in the top 200 publicly-traded fossil fuel companies[1] at the earliest opportunity [1] The Carbon Underground 200 Project, at http://fossilfreeindexes.com/research/the-carbon-underground 2. Commit to a policy of divesting or withdrawing from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds over the next 5 years; and of re-investing in a new carbon-free portfolio of more local, ethical and renewable energy technologies and infrastructure developments 3. Include these action points above in the Pension Fund Committee’s Investment Strategy Statement, with effect from the earliest possible date. (* Adapted from the petition model in the Gofossilfree campaign’s guidance – see Local Government Guide at https://gofossilfree.org/uk/pensions/#action )

Investing in the fossil fuel industry risks pension fund members' money as fossil fuel assets increasingly risk becoming stranded assets. The urgent global climate action needed will increasingly mean fossil fuels will be unburnable and need to stay in the ground. It also makes no sense for us to be saving for our future using investments that fundamentally threaten that future and security.

We need to take responsability on the future of our life in this country (Israel) and on this planet. We cannot continue with the current energy policy and use fossil fuels as if there's no climate change and there's no limits of use of this resource. We must divest, not only for the future but also for the present. People all over the world and also here, in Israel, are damaged severely by the pollution that is caused by the methods of energy production from fossil fuels. The Hebrew Uni. claims to be the leading University in Israel, it is time for the University to take a stand and join the movement.

The City of Boise touts quite proudly it’s emphasis on ‘sustainable policies, practices and partnerships’ promoting ‘lasting environments, innovative enterprises, and vibrant communities’. Sustainable Boise: Energy, Air Quality, Water Resources, Material Management, Create Lasting Environments - Recognize, protect, and improve the health and sustainability of all our activities, our connection to one another, and our natural resources.** Cultivate Innovative Enterprises: Business Retention and Recruitment, Promote Entrepreneurship, Enhance Work Force / Human Capital, Work with individuals, nonprofits, and businesses to encourage collaboration that will promote economic prosperity and improve lives.** Build Vibrant Communities: Arts and Culture, Housing, Transportation Choices, Safe, Healthy, Caring Communities, Children and Youth, Parks and Open Space, Engage citizens and organizations to spark new connections, inspire exploration, and strengthen Boise’s rich community-minded spirit.** Boise Environmental Education: Community Forestry, Boise WaterShed, Boise Urban Garden School, Foothills Learning Center, claiming, Explore our wild community, develop a new sense of place, and discover the lessons to be learned from nature.** There is nothing lasting about the environment of oil-extraction, including its developers and corporations. Our investment, through financial institutions who lend to these businesses, runs contrary to the very qualities Boise City claims to uphold, as noted above, and we as residents have come to expect. Video of the presentation to the City of Boise http://bit.ly/2owEkiT

VERSNELD OVERSCHAKELEN OP DUURZAME ENERGIE Elk jaar dat we eerder afstappen van fossiele brandstoffen betekent minder onherstelbare en onnodige klimaatschade. Onnodig, want volgens sommige wetenschappers kan de transitie naar 100% duurzame energie al binnen 10 jaar* voor elkaar zijn. Het idee van Fossielvrij: als investeerders hun geld massaal terugtrekken uit de fossiele industrie, en dat geld opnieuw investeren in schone energie, kan de wereld al veel sneller overschakelen op 100% schone energie. FINANCIËLE KWETSBAARHEID VERKLEINEN De Nederlandsche Bank, The Bank of England en 's werelds grootste vermogensbeheerder BlackRock waarschuwen**** ook voor de financiële risico's van fossiele investeringen. Meer dan 80% van de voorraden kolen, olie en gas mogen niet gebruikt worden, volgens de eisen ondertekend op de Klimaattop in Parijs. Daarom zijn fossiele bedrijven overgewaardeerd op de beurs. Het is wachten tot deze zeepbel (carbon bubble) knapt. Organisaties met veel fossiele aandelen zijn extreem kwetsbaar. DUURZAAM LEIDERSCHAP UITBOUWEN Als eerste gemeente van Nederland heeft Eindhoven een klimaatplan (en begroting) opgesteld in lijn met de afspraken in Parijs. Onze doelstelling ligt geheel in de lijn van de keuzes die een grote meerderheid van de gemeenteraad is ingeslagen. Eindhoven dient in deze context een verantwoorde keuze te maken door hun financiële banden met de fossiele industrie te verbreken. ------------------------- Voor wie precies wil weten hoe het zit: * Volgens wetenschappers van de University of Sussex kan de energietransitie al binnen 10 jaar voltooid zijn: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629615300827 ** The London School of Economics heeft in het Stern Review (2007) aangetoond dat het veel goedkoper is om nu de CO2-uitstoot drastisch te beperken, dan om maatregelen te nemen om ons te beschermen tegen de gevolgen van klimaatontwrichting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stern_Review ***Klimaatwetenschappers hebben onderzocht dat door het smelten van Antartica het zeeniveau rond 2100 al met enkele meters gestegen kan zijn – behalve als we heel snel stoppen met kolen, olie en gas. http://www.nature.com/articles/nature17145.epdf http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/3761/2016/acp-16-3761-2016.html **** Artikelen over de financiële risico's van investeringen in de fossiele industrie: http://www.nrc.nl/handelsblad/2016/03/04/dnb-nederlandse-economie-moet-af-van-kolen-olie-1598050 http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/03/21/bank-of-england-regulator-warns-of-growing-climate-risks/ https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/en-mx/literature/whitepaper/bii-pricing-climate-risk-international.pdf https://hbr.org/2016/04/the-data-says-climate-change-could-cost-investors-trillions

Nous sommes aujourd'hui face à un défi tant pour l'humanité que pour le reste de la vie telle que nous la connaissons. Il s'agit d'un défi à la fois terrifiant (car les enjeux sont gigantesques) et formidable, car si nous réussissons la transformation de notre société celle-ci peut véritablement mener à une révolution dans notre manière de vivre et de penser pour aller vers un monde plus juste, plus beau, meilleur. Il est temps de montrer par tous les signaux possibles que les alternatives existent, et qu'il faut créer une nouvelle économie, qui ne sera pas synonyme de moins de bien-être, bien au contraire. Désinvestir des énergies fossiles c'est tourner le dos à un passé destructeur et ouvrir les bras à un avenir où le travail sert à construire, pas à détruire ! Les arguments pour le désinvestissement sont éthiques, scientifiques et économiques. -> Le réchauffement climatique est causé par l'homme et il est nécessaire d'agir pour le limiter au seuil maximum fixé de 2°C (voire même de 1.5°C) afin d'éviter des conséquences catastrophiques dont nous pouvons dès à présent percevoir les premiers effets. En tant que pays développés, notre responsabilité est majeure. -> Arrêter d'investir dans les énergies fossiles ne va pas affecter la rentabilité des placements. Bien au contraire, puisque l'on parle de plus en plus de la « bulle carbone ». En effet, si l'on veut respecter l'Accord de Paris de 2015 (selon lequel le seuil maximal de réchauffement ne doit pas dépasser les 2°C), il sera nécessaire de laisser 80 % des réserves des énergies fossiles sous terre, alors même que celles-ci ont été découvertes, et la plupart du temps achetées par des organismes dans lesquels des personnes/ institutions ont investi. -> Les énergies renouvelables sont de plus en plus compétitives et aujourd'hui investir dans un portfolio sans énergies fossiles ne rapporte pas moins qu’avec. -> L'UCL a un rôle en tant qu'institution publique et nous, en tant qu'étudiant.e.s, mais surtout en tant que citoyen.ne.s, nous avons le devoir d'interpeller nos dirigeants, et dans le cas présent le Conseil d’Administration de l'UCL, sur la situation de dépendance dans laquelle nous nous sommes englués depuis trop longtemps vis à vis de ces énergies polluantes.