1,000 signatures reached
To: University of Virginia
Divest UVA from Fossil Fuels
UVA should lead our nation’s universities in the fight against climate change by removing our investments from the fossil fuel industry.
Why is this important?
Divestment is the process by which an institution removes its stocks, bonds, and other investments from industries and corporations that are morally ambiguous or devoid. In a worldwide movement, over 500 institutions have collectively divested $3.4 trillion from the fossil fuel industry due to its responsibility in the climate crisis. We demand that the University of Virginia join that movement.
UVA has a $7.5 billion endowment, accrued over decades from private donations and financial grants, which it invests for the future support of the University. Some of these investments are in the fossil fuel industry. UVA only spends a small percentage of its investment returns each year, though. The remainder of the endowment is invested in perpetuity. While UVA intends the endowment to benefit the futures of students, all investments in fossil fuels inherently threaten these futures.
Historically, universities are platforms of social change. At the University of Virginia, we have the power to send a state- and nationwide message: profit at the cost of human lives is
morally unacceptable.
We ask that you sign this petition to help send this message.