1,000 signatures reached
To: Students, Faculty, Alumni
Divest Queen's From Fossil Fuels (2018-2019)
1. To use our power as an institution to remove the sociopolitical stronghold of fossil fuel companies over governance, policy, and public perception of climate change.
2. To promote the transition to a green economy.
3. To take urgently-needed action on climate change.
Why is this important?
We're facing the environmental and human rights emergency of our time - it's time to stand up for our future. Government and industry must take climate action seriously, and we can help pressure them through our university.
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that humans are the main drivers of climate change, particularly via the fossil fuel industry. We must drastically curb carbon emissions to avoid the worst consequences of this crisis.
These companies have a financial incentive to delay our transition to a green energy economy. It is immoral for both these companies, as well as their investors, to profit off of environmental degradation and the suffering of marginalized peoples around the world. While their investments in renewable energy are welcome, fossil fuels continue to be extracted. Divestment sends a message that fossil fuels cannot be part of a long-term, sustainable future.
Divestment would also save the school money! If Queen's had divested in 2012, the university would have earned $137 million more in returns on investments. We now have conclusive evidence that our investments in fossil fuels are not only harmful to the environment, but also less profitable for Queen's than sustainable alternatives.
We are calling on Queen's to fully divest its endowment and investment funds by 2025, and freeze new fossil fuel investments immediately.
For more information at divestment at Queen's visit qbacc.org/divestment.
Please use your @queensu email if you have one!