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  • Hertfordshire County Council: Divest from fossil fuels
    1. Hertfordshire County Council Pension Fund has around £140,000,000 invested in fossil fuel industries, including BG Group PLC, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Rio Tinto PLC. 2. The pension fund affects over 180 employers in Hertfordshire including Hertfordshire County Council (including schools), North Herts District Council, Dacorum Borough Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, Hertsmere Borough Council. Broxbourne Borough Council, St Albans District Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council and a range of community and voluntary groups. See here for list http://divestherts.org/ 3. 97% of climate scientists agree that humans are the primary cause of recent climate change, largely due to the release of greenhouse gases from the combustion of oil, coal and gas for heat and power. Global warming is happening now - it is not a thing of the future; thanks to our appetite for fossil fuels we’ve already experienced a global temperature rise of about 1°C since the Industrial Revolution.[1] The effects of this rise in temperature are already being felt, causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including more tropical storms in some areas, but drought in others. Climatic changes and oceans becoming more acidic due to absorbing excess carbon dioxide present a real threat to whole ecosystems. It’s not just bad for the environment, it’s putting people's lives at risk too due to food and water insecurity and is creating climate change refugees.[2] 4. In order to stop the global climate warming by another 2 °C, 80% of all known fossil fuels must stay in the ground.[3] However, despite all the evidence showing that we need to transition to cleaner forms of energy, fossil fuel companies are continuing to extract dirty fossil fuels, and making huge profits in the process.[4] 5. Investments in fossil fuels are also risky. Recent fluctuations in oil prices means that divesting from fossil fuels would minimise the council's exposure to the financial risk of the 'carbon bubble', whereby companies risk being left with stranded assets (worthless fuel stocks that regulation will prevent from being burned). People and institutions that own shares in the companies will see the value of their investments decrease. (5) 6. By removing investments in these companies Hertfordshire County Council will be showing its commitment to creating a healthy, sustainable future for both the people of Hertfordshire and the planet as a whole. 7. Institutions across the world including churches and universities, as well as local authorities in the UK such as Bristol City Council and Oxford City Council have already committed to divest from fossil fuels. [6] Let's see Hertfordshire join them in making this small but impactful commitment. [1] http://350.org/about/science/ [2] http://climatemigration.org.uk/about-us/ [3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30709211 [4] http://priceofoil.org/tag/fossil-fuel-industry-profits/ [5] http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/28f00388-0df3-11e5-9a65-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3mHL64WyD [6]http://gofossilfree.org/commitments/
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  • En faveur des énergies renouvelables, disons non à la centrale à charbon de San-Pédro
    Les énergies fossiles (centrale à charbon propre) sont source de pollution, de maladie et de destruction de la terre ainsi que de la faune animale. Les energies solaires favorisent le développement durable, la prospérité, le bien être des communautés locales et représentent l'espoir pour la jeunesse par les emplois verts - durables et responsables. Fossil energies (clean coal power station) are a source of pollution, disease and the destruction of the earth and animal fauna. Solar energy promotes sustainable development, prosperity, the well being of local communities and represents hope for youth through green jobs - sustainable and responsible.
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  • Divest Brent Council from Fossil Fuels
    We believe divestment from fossil fuels to be not only ethically and environmentally correct, but also financially prudent. Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered. The 20 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1981 and 2016 was the hottest ever [1]. Higher average temperatures are directly linked to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and storms. Scientists have unanimously concluded that these changes are a consequence of human activity, arising from the burning of fossil fuels [2]. Moreover, this activity has resulted in unprecedented levels of air pollution, now regarded as a major world killer [3]. In a speech at Lloyd’s of London in September 2015, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England said that by the time ‘climate change becomes a defining issue for financial stability, it may already be too late’. Carney warned investors that policies to address climate change ‘would render the vast majority of reserves ‘stranded’ – oil, gas and coal that will be literally unburnable’ [4]. In order to continue developing fossil fuel reserves – particularly in the difficult areas where the remaining reserves are located (including the Arctic, the mouth of the Amazon and tar sands in sensitive areas) the developing companies need investment – divestment is a way of cutting off the funds needed to carry out these damaging activities. It also sends a powerful signal to the companies and others that it is time to move away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. References: [0] http://tinyurl.com/lmskfgk [1] http://tinyurl.com/y9tkm4sn [2] http://tinyurl.com/3e3zv [3] http://tinyurl.com/pqgdd5q [4] http://tinyurl.com/ycspl5sg
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  • FULL Fossil Fuel Divestment for the University of Reading
    We are in the midst of a climate crisis and holding investments in fossil fuel companies is immoral. The current investment practices of the University are in direct violation of their investments policy, which clearly states: “The University of Reading believes in socially responsible investment and responsible stewardship. It expects its investment managers to take account of social, environmental and ethical considerations in the selection, retention and realisation of investment.” The University is recognised for producing world-class research on climate change and takes active steps to improve sustainability on its campuses. However, full fossil fuel divestment should be at the forefront of any sustainability strategy, and the University cannot make claims to be sustainable without it. If Vice Chancellor Robert Van de Noort wishes to make the University of Reading the “greenest university”, then full divestment is a necessity.
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  • Den Haag Fossielvrij
    Wij willen Den Haag fossielvrij om deze redenen: 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 in 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. INWONERS VAN DEN HAAG BESCHERMEN Geen land ter wereld kan de gevolgen van die opwarming ontvluchten. Ook Den Haag zou miljarden** moeten investeren om onze kust te beschermen tegen de stijgende zeespiegel. Volgens de laatste onderzoeken van enkele wetenschappers kan het zeeniveau over 80 jaar al met enkele meters*** gestegen zijn. Zolang fossiele brandstoffen de normaalste zaak van de wereld blijven, is elke maatregel om de kust te beschermen, dweilen met de kraan open. 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. 80% van de voorraden kolen, olie en gas mogen niet gebruikt worden, volgens de Klimaattop in Parijs. Daarom zijn fossiele bedrijven overgewaardeerd op de beurs. Het is wachten tot de zeepbel (carbon bubble) knapt. Organisaties met veel fossiele aandelen zijn extreem kwetsbaar. MOREEL LEIDERSCHAP TONEN Gemeente Den Haag is de Internationale Stad van Vrede en Recht. Hoe krom zou het zijn als onze stad rijker zou worden van investeringen die klimaatoorlogen en klimaatvluchtelingen veroorzaken? Den Haag heeft een morele verantwoordelijkheid om zelf het goede voorbeeld geven. Door geld terug te trekken uit de fossiele industrie. En bedrijven, overheden van landen en steden aan te spreken op hun verantwoordelijkheid om alles op alles te zetten om klimaatontwrichting te stoppen. ------------------------- 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
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  • Divest Dumfries & Galloway Council's Pension Fund from Fossil Fuels
    Dumfries & Galloway Council has aspirations to be Europe's first carbon neutral region, yet its pension fund is the most heavily invested in fossil fuels in the whole of Scotland. Currently, the fund has more than £28 million invested directly in fossil fuels and almost another £50 million in projected indirect investment. These investment decisions make a mockery of the Council's own sustainability and climate change goals. Instead of fueling the climate crisis, it's time for Dumfries & Galloway Council to take a stand and divest from fossil fuels. The more than £78 million invested in fossil fuels could be directed to renewable energy in the Council's own area, promoting the potential for clean, green technologies in the region and boosting employment and infrastructure. With such a large fossil fuel investment (9.4% of their total fund), we would like to see D&G Council implement a 5-year plan to move to total fossil fuel divestment. Fossil fuels are the technology of the 20th century, not the 21st. Stocks in fossil fuels are volatile and the industry is preparing itself for a significant future loss of revenue caused by increasing extraction costs, falling quantities of available fuels and increasing public outrage at the lack of action on climate change. Our people and our planet can no longer afford to delay climate action.
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  • DIVEST RHONDDA CYNON TAF PENSION FUND FROM FOSSIL FUEL INVESTMENTS
    Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered, not just environmentally but also economically, morally and socially. In order to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change, global warming must not exceed 2°C which means 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must not be used. Recent research, instigated by the Carbon Tracker foundation, asserts that there are five times more fossil-fuel reserves than can be burnt if internationally agreed carbon emissions targets are to be met. Fossil fuel equities also pose significant financial risks. As governments control carbon emissions to meet these targets a large proportion of fossil fuel reserves which companies expect to extract will become stranded assets: a “carbon bubble”. Funds which are exposed to fossil fuel equities when this bubble bursts can expect to suffer considerable losses. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney has recently expressed concerns over climate risk, stating that the “vast majority of reserves are unburnable” if global temperature rises are to be limited to below 2C (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/13/mark-carney-fossil-fuel-reserves-burned-carbon-bubble) Institutions around the world including local government, universities and churches are pulling out of fossil fuels investments and moving towards a cleaner energy future. By divesting from fossil fuels, the Rhondda Cynon Taf Pension Fund will join public institutions such as the British Medical Association, Glasgow University and Oxford City Council, amongst many others, in leading by example to help create a sustainable future for it's citizens. In support of this movement we ask you to sign and share our petition. Thank you for your support
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  • Fossil Free Dundee
    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.
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  • UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI: GO FOSSIL FREE!
    Miksi tämä on tärkeää? Yliopistoilla on moraalinen vastuu yhteiskunnan korkeimman tiedon lähteinä hyödyntää omassa toiminnassaan parasta olemassa olevaa tietoa. Tiedeyhteisön yhteisymmärrys on kiistaton. Emme voi polttaa edes puolta maailmanlaajuisista fossiilisten polttoaineiden tunnetuista varannoista aiheuttamatta tuhoisaa ilmaston lämpenemistä. [3][4][5][6][7] Ilmastotieteilijät ovat yhtä mieltä siitä, että fossiilisten polttoaineiden käyttö on suurin yksittäinen syy antropogeeniseen eli ihmisen toiminnan aiheuttamaan ilmastonmuutokseen, joka aiheuttaa äärimmäisen vakavia ekologisia ja sosiaalisia katastrofeja [3][4]. Helsingin yliopiston tulisi johtaa omalla esimerkillään ilmastonmuutoksen hillitsemistä harjoittamalla entistä kestävämpää sijoitustoimintaa niin ympäristön kuin taloudenkin kannalta. Hiilikuplalla tarkoitetaan fossiilisia polttoaineita tuottaviin yhtiöihin liittyvää taloudellista riskiä, joka johtuu alihintaisten kasvihuonekaasupäästöjen aiheuttamasta markkinahäiriöstä. Hiilikupla on saanut useita sijoittajia vetämään sijoituksensa pois näistä yhtiöistä. [8][9][10] Yliopiston sitoutuminen fossiilisten polttoaineiden tuottajista vapaaseen sijoitusstrategiaan olisi vahva signaali yliopiston henkilökunnalle ja opiskelijoille siitä, että yliopiston johto tunnustaa tieteellisen tutkimustyön tulokset ja pyrkii periaatteidensa mukaisesti kehittämään yliopiston toimintaa entistä kestävämmäksi. [11] Helsingin yliopisto pyrkii saamaan sijoitussalkkunsa hiilineutraaleiksi “huomattavasti ennen vuotta 2045” [12]. Fossiiliteollisuuteen tehdyistä sijoituksista luopuminen on yksi askel yliopiston matkalla kohti tuota tavoitetta. Yliopiston pyrkimyksenä onkin rajata fossiilisia polttoaineita tuottavien yhtiöiden osuus sijoitussalkuistaan korkeintaan 1 %:iin, ja käytännössä vähentää niiden osuutta senkin jälkeen [11]. Ilmastotoimien kiireellisyydestä huolimatta sijoituksista luopumiselle ei kuitenkaan ole asetettu selkeää aikarajaa. Yliopisto ei myöskään ole sitoutunut olemaan sijoittamatta fossiilisia polttoaineita tuottaviin yrityksiin tulevaisuudessa. Yhteiskunta tarvitsee edelläkävijöitä, jotka luovat uuden normaalin ja motivoivat muita osallistumaan uusien parhaiden käytäntöjen omaksumiseen. ------------------------------------------------------ Why is this important? Universities have the moral responsibility to act according to the leading sources of scientific research and education in a society. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of the world's fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years. [3][4][5][6][7] Scientists agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify tragic climate disasters [3][4]. The University of Helsinki should take the lead in confronting climate change by promoting sustainable and financially sound asset management practices. Carbon bubble is a term used to describe the financial risk related to companies holding fossil fuel reserves as governments move to fix the market failure caused by uncontrolled carbon emissions. [8][9][10] Divestment would send a strong signal to the University's staff as well as current and future students, that the University will take action for a sustainable future, as stated in the principles for responsible investment activities [11]. The University of Helsinki is aiming for a carbon-neutral investment portfolio well before the year 2045 [12]. Divestment from the fossil fuel industry is one of the University’s steps towards this goal. The University is aiming for a portfolio where firms that produce fossil fuels comprise no more than 1% of the investment portfolio, and aims to reduce their weight in the portfolio further after that [11]. However, despite the time-critical nature of the climate crisis, no time limit has been set for divestment. The University has not committed to refrain from future investment into firms that produce fossil fuels. Society as a whole needs leadership from organisations that shape the future and motivate others to join and implement best practices. [1] http://gofossilfree.org/companies/ [2] https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/yliopisto/strategia-ja-johtaminen/strategia-2017-2020 [3] https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/ [4] https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ [5] http://carbontracker.live.kiln.it/index.html?CMP=twt_gu [6] http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus [7] http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/ [8] https://gofossilfree.org/divestment/commitments/ [9] http://www.carbontracker.org/report/carbon-bubble/ [10] https://www.divestinvest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Carbon-Tracker.-Unburnable-Carbon-Full-rev2-1.pdf [11] Suomeksi: https://www.helsinki.fi/sites/default/files/atoms/files/hy_vastuullisen_sijoitustoiminnan_periaatteet.pdf In English: https://www.helsinki.fi/sites/default/files/atoms/files/hu_principles_for_responsible_investment_activities.pdf [12] Suomeksi: https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/uutiset/kestava-kehitys/helsingin-yliopisto-sijoittaa-entista-vastuullisemmin-tavoitteena-hiilineutraali-salkku?fbclid=IwAR0Uq_fegJ1SO_cdBOCQII0GR4KAHvSvTzDtUk_M9tte-m8ersZ9rKmsfzA In English: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/sustainability-news/increasingly-responsible-investments-by-the-university-of-helsinki-aiming-for-a-carbon-neutral-portfolio
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  • Trinity University: Divest from Fossil Fuels!
    The climate crisis 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 heating 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.
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