Fossil Fuel Divestment: Colleges & Universities

Colleges and universities are leading the way. Students have always been key to movements of conscience, and this fight is no different.

Institutions of higher education are charged with preparing their students for lifetimes of work and service. But if those institutions are invested in fossil fuel companies, then students’ educations are being subsidized by investments that guarantee they won't have much of a planet on which to make use of their degrees.

Colleges and universities rush to launch greening initiatives, sustainability offices, and environmental curricula, but it makes no sense to green the campus and not the portfolio. Fossil fuel divestment is a reasonable next step -- and it’s the right thing to do.

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Campaigns (387)

  • Southeastern University: Go Fossil Free!
    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 $50bn 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. As public pressure to confront climate change builds, we call on Southeastern University to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil-fuel companies, and to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds. We believe such action on behalf of Southeastern University will not only be a sound decision for our institution's financial portfolio, but also for the wellbeing of its current and future graduating classes, who deserve the opportunity to graduate with a future not defined by climate chaos.
    4 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Angel Alicea Jr
  • Rush University Medical Center Dietetic Internship: Go Fossil Free!
    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 $50bn 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. As public pressure to confront climate change builds, we call on Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick/Piscataway to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil-fuel companies, and to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds. We believe such action on behalf of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick/Piscataway will not only be a sound decision for our institution’s financial portfolio, but also for the wellbeing of its current and future graduating classes, who deserve the opportunity to graduate with a future not defined by climate chaos.
    3 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Jesus Shuttleworth
  • Divest Appalachian
    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.
    3 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Dustin Hicks
  • Go Fossil Free!
    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.
    2 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Divest UNBSTU
  • Redlands
    Go Fossil Free!
    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.
    2 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Taryn Fowlkes
  • DIVEST ALL U of WISCONSIN Universities!
    Climate change is accelerating. On top of the increasingly severe weather patterns and seasons, we see a very disproportionate effect on deindustrialized rural communities, indigenous communities, and communities of low-income housing. These communities experience significant health risks due to the pollution of the fossil fuel industry. Social class, race, and the community you live in should not affect whether you have clean water to drink and air to breathe. The time to divest for the planet and for the people is now.
    1 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Mari Belina
  • בצלאל מפסיקה להשקיע בזיהום כדור הארץ
    שינויי האקלים הולכים ומאיצים. אנו עדים להשפעות ההולכות וגדלות של התחממות הכוכב באופן עקבי יותר ויותר; רק בשנה האחרונה נרשמו בישראל עומסי חום, שרב ושריפות באזור מודיעין, בשומרון, בוואדי ערה, בעמק חפר בנוף הגליל ובמקומות אחרים שהשפיעו על מאות ואלפי אנשים ועלו למדינה ולאזרחים עשרות ומאות מליוני שקלים. מומחים מסכימים כי התחממות כדור הארץ הנגרמת על ידי שריפת דלקים מאובנים תמשיך להאיץ ולהעצים את אסונות האקלים הטרגיים הללו. הקונצנזוס המדעי ברור ומכריע; איננו יכולים לשרוף אפילו מחצית ממאגרי הדלקים המאובנים העולמיים מבלי לחמם את כדור הארץ באופן מסוכן למשך כמה אלפי שנים ובכך להביא לקץ המין האנושי.
    1 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Raz Karl