Nearby Petitions

All Petitions

• 

  Vœu pour un engagement de Vannes contre les investissements contribuant au changement climatique

  Considérant que les engagements pris dans l'accord de Paris adopté à l'issu de la COP21, par lequel la communauté internationale s'est engagé à maintenir le réchauffement climatique « bien en-deçà de 2°C » ; Considérant que l'Assemblée nationale a adopté, le 25 novembre dernier, une résolution pour une société bas carbone, dans laquelle elle « "encourageant les investisseurs institutionnels, les entreprises, notamment celles dont l’État est actionnaire, et les collectivités territoriales à cesser d’investir dans les énergies fossiles et notamment dans le charbon » ; Considérant que, dans son rapport « Unburnable carbon », la Carbon Tracker Initiative montre que les entreprises du secteur fossile exploitent actuellement ou s'apprêtent à exploiter des réserves de charbon, de gaz et de pétrole représentant 2,795 gigatonnes d'émissions potentielles de CO2, soit cinq fois ce que nous pouvons émettre si nous souhaitons pouvoir maintenir le réchauffement sous cette barre des 2°C ; Considérant que des travaux récemment publiés par la revue Nature ont montré que l'ensemble des combustibles fossiles présents dans le sous-sol, qu'il s'agisse de gisements exploités, en passe d'être exploités, ou simplement identifiés, représentent 11 000 gigatonnes d'émissions potentielles de C02, soit vingt fois ce que nous pouvons émettre si nous souhaitons pouvoir maintenir le réchauffement climatique sous cette barre des 2°C ; Considérant la campagne lancée il y a trois ans par le mouvement 350.org de « désinvestissement du secteur fossile », qui se fonde sur le constat que certaines institutions encouragent le réchauffement climatique en détenant des investissements directs dans des entreprises du secteur des énergies fossiles, et encourage les institutions à initier une stratégie d’investissement socialement et écologiquement responsable et pour ainsi agir en faveur du climat ; Considérant que les entreprises ciblées dans le cadre de cette campagne sont toutes celles qui appartiennent à la liste des 200 entreprises qui possèdent les plus grandes réserves de charbon, de gaz et de pétrole, autrement dit qui représentent les principales sources d'émissions de CO2 à venir, telles que listées par la « Carbon tracker initiative » ; Considérant que pour réellement initier ce changement souhaité deux principaux acteurs sont prioritairement à convaincre : les fonds de pension et les banques, qui gèrent des portefeuilles d’investissement très importants ; Considérant que les caisses de retraites de la fonction publique (Ircantec, Erafp, Cnrac) ainsi que le Fonds de réserve pour les retraites détiennent plusieurs milliards d'actions et obligations émises par ces entreprises ; Considérant que plus de 500 villes, universités, musées et autres institutions se sont d’ores et déjà engagées dans cette démarche, à l’image des villes de San Francisco et Seattle ou encore de l’université de Stanford, du Fonds souverain de Norvège, de la fondation Rockefeller Brothers, rejointes par la ville de Paris par 34 collectivités locales françaises (parmi lesquelles les villes de Paris, Lille et Bordeaux, les régions Ile de France et Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne) ; Considérant que Vannes a la responsabilité de protéger la vie et l'environnement de ses habitants des conséquences du changement climatique ;

  35 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Karine GL
• 

  Fossil Free NYBG

  As a leader in education and science, the Garden has a responsibility to stand up to climate change polluters and show leadership by divesting from fossil fuel interests.

  50 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Robin Sleith
• 

  Die Uni Heidelberg soll sich zu einem klimafreundlichen Finanz- und Anlagemanagement bekennen.

  Begründung: Spätestens die Dürre dieses Sommers hat uns gezeigt, dass der Klimwandel mitten in Deutschland angekommen ist. Wir haben einen ersten Vorgeschmack bekommen, welchen Druck der Klimawandel auf unsere Landwirtschaft und Gesellschaft ausüben kann. Die extemen Unwetter häufen sich hierzulande genauso wie die "Jahrhundertstürme" an den Küsten Amerikas und Asiens. Allein für Deutschland rechnet die Münchener Rückversicherung bis 2050 mt 800 Milliarden Euro Klimafolgeschäden. Hunderte Millionen von Menschen in den Ländern des globalen Südens sehen das Land unter ihren Füßen durch die Ausbreitung der Wüsten und den Anstieg des Meeresspiegels bedroht. Die Weltbank beziffert die Anzahl der Klimaflüchtlinge bis 2050 mit 140 Millionen. Die internationale Staatengemeinschaft hat sich, um die katastrophalen Folgen eines noch gefährlicheren Klimawandels abzuwenden, 2015 in Paris verpflichtet, alles in ihrer Macht stehende zu unternehmen, um die Erderwärmung deutlich unter zwei Grad Celsius zu begrenzen. Die Ziele, die sich die Staaten allerdings auferlegt haben, führen uns auf einen Pfad, der bis 2100 eine Erwärmung um über 3 Grad Celsius bedeutet. Um die Klimakrise noch aufhalten zu können, müssen die Klimaschutzbemühungen der Staaten also deutlich verschärft werden. Der bestehende wissenschaftliche Konsens besagt, wenn wir den Temperaturanstieg unter 2°C halten wollen, müssen wir dafür sorgen, dass 80% der bekannten Vorkommen fossiler Brennstoffe unter der Erde bleiben. Erdöl-, Kohle- und Gaskonzerne verheizen aber weiterhin ohne Rücksicht auf unsere Lebensgrundlagen und auf zukünftie Generationen in alarmierendem Tempo die bestehenden Vorkommen und geben Milliarden aus, um noch mehr fossile Brennstoffe zu finden. Dabei schrecken sie auch nicht vor hochriskanten und umweltzerstörenden Methoden wie Fracking, Mountain Top Removal, Tagebau, Offshore Drilling und dem Abbau von Teersanden zurück. Daraus ziehen viele dem Gemeinwohl und der Gesellschaft verpflichtete Akteure, wie Städte Kommunden, Universitäten, Kirchen, Stiftungen und auch FInanzinstitute bereits Konsequenzen. Sie investieren nicht mehr in fossile Energien und in Unternehmen, die fossile Energieträger erschließen, abbauen oder verfeuern. Das ist der Grundgedanke von Fossil Free! In Deutschland haben sich unter anderem schon die Städten Göttingen, Münster, Berlin, Bremen und die Universitäten Göttingen und Münster dem Divestement angeschlossen. Es ist an der Zeit, dass sich die Universität Heidelberg getreu ihres Mottos "Zukunft seit 1386" öffentlich und verbindlich zu einem klimafreundlichen Finanz- und Anlagemanagement bekennt.

  106 of 200 Signatures

  Created by LIsa-Marie Zoller
• Divest Birkbeck

  Investment in fossil fuel industries drives fossil fuel consumption and its negative social and environmental impacts. Burning coal, oil, and gas releases CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, both warming and polluting the planet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if the status quo continues the planet could warm by almost 5oC by 2100. This would have a catastrophic impact on human life. It would turn our planet into one not “similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted”, as James Hansen, a top climate scientist at NASA put it. The second reason is that investment in these companies gives implicit support to their activities. It is a matter of social justice and duty that the University withdraw its financial support for companies that actively contribute to global warming, the burden of which is being felt disproportionately by the world’s poorest countries, who are contributing least to climate change. Not only does this exacerbate global poverty it perpetuates further social inequality between the global south and the global north. Divestment from fossil fuel firms will help remove fossil fuel companies’ social license to exploit the world's most impoverished nations. The third reason is that investment in fossil fuel companies is illogical when set against the University’s environmental priorities. The university is pledging to reduce carbon emissions and embed sustainability into their business model and culture of institutions. It intends to be fully compliant with environmental legislation and promote environmental responsibility. On this basis and in light of the Paris agreement that includes averting irreversible damage to the ecosystems, all planetary life and livelihoods. Besides its dangers, there are strong financial arguments for divestment. As the BP oil spill illustrated, fossil fuel companies operate in risky contexts that can not only damage environments and communities, but also shareholder value. Fossil fuel companies are at the mercy of regulations aimed at preventing climate change. Recent research has shown that, if regulators are serious about preventing climate change, a third of global oil reserves, half of all gas reserves, and over 80% of coal reserves will have to remain unburned to limit global warming to 2ºC. This means fossil fuel firms would have to massively write down the value of assets on their balance sheets, leading to huge and sustained destruction in shareholder value. By divesting from fossil fuels, the University will join a long list of respected institutions already committed to going fossil free, including Stanford University, Glasgow University, Oxford CIty Council, the World Council of Churches, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The global divestment campaign is growing, and together we can make a statement about how we want our future to look. We urge all students, alumni, staff and members of the public to sign the petition to support an end to social and environmental devastation.

  219 of 300 Signatures

  Created by Suzanne Henry
• 

  Islington Council: Divest from Fossil Fuels

  Climate change is the most pressing problem facing humanity. We want to protect this planet so it remains for our children and grandchildren. We can start by asking our local council to take its money out of fossil fuels - currently £59.5 million. Local government has a duty to act for the public good. Fossil fuels are in direct conflict with this: investing in them threatens the planet and poses a risk to investors. Financial research has called into question the valuations of fossil fuel companies as they rely on reserves which must remain unburned if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. Islington Council should take a prudent economic decision and a moral stand by moving our money away from risky fossil fuel investments. Divestment from fossil fuels makes a powerful statement that the fossil fuel industry is morally and financially unviable, and that the people of Islington want a sustainable future.

  1,093 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Jen Cronin
• University of Portsmouth: Divest from the Fossil Fuel Industry

  The fossil fuel industry is driving the world towards a climate crisis. The science is clear, if we are to avoid catastrophic changes to our planet’s climate, threatening ecosystems and the lives of billions of people, we must drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and transfer to cleaner energy systems. And we must do it quickly. The fossil fuel industry is actively blocking efforts to achieve this transition. It is wielding its unparalleled political influence to ensure global carbon emissions continue to rise, and reaping exorbitant profits at the cost of all our futures. This cannot be allowed to continue. It is incumbent upon all people of conscience now to take a stand against those individuals and institutions that would enrich themselves at humanity’s expense. The first step in doing that is to declare that you won’t be one of them. The University of Portsmouth should not attempt to profit from this morally bankrupt industry, and should join the growing international movement to withdraw its social license to operate.

  52 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Green Society
• 

  Disinvest the Church of England from fossil fuels

  1. Climate change is becoming an ever more urgent issue, with increasingly severe impacts on our sisters and brothers around the world. Experts estimate that one person every second is displaced by climate or weather-related disasters. According to the Lancet, the number of weather-related disasters has increased by 46% since the year 2000. 2. Churches have a duty to ensure that their investments do not compromise the ethical position of their institutions. It is deeply uncomfortable for the Church to continue to invest in fossil fuels, which are causing the very harm it seeks to alleviate. 3. The Church of England invests more than £190 million in fossil fuel companies, despite the increasing financial risks of fossil fuel investments. A Carbon Tracker report published in 2017 found that five out of six major oil and gas companies were risking more than 30% of investments on projects that will never be pursued if global average temperature rises are limited to 2 degrees Celsius. 4. At Shell's AGM in May 2018, 95% of shareholders rejected a resolution calling on the company to set stronger emissions targets in line with the Paris Agreement goals. ExxonMobil blocked a resolution on climate change from being considered at its 2018 AGM. It is clear that engagement with fossil fuel companies isn't working. 5. The vast majority of known fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground if we are to have any chance of meeting the Paris Agreement targets. The reserves in currently operating oil and gas fields alone would take the world beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. 6. The Church of England has made commitments to address climate change and reduce its overall carbon footprint. This commitment must be extended to how funds are invested. The Church has a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership on this issue and to influence the public debate on the ethics of continuing to invest in fossil fuels. For more information about Operation Noah's Bright Now campaign, please visit www.brightnow.org.uk

  6,774 of 7,000 Signatures

  Created by Operation Noah
• Divest Lancaster University from Unethical Investment

  UK universities support the fossil fuel industry directly through investments in companies such as BP and Shell. Lancaster University's involvement within this industry is incompatible with their image as a green university, actively promoting renewable energy and sustainability. Around 14% of the university's current investments are in fossil fuels and nearly 4% of investments are in the arms trade. These investments are incompatible with the view of Lancaster as an ethical and environmentally friendly university, and we believe an increased awareness and lobbying by students will encourage the university management to adopt an ethical investment policy. Link to our most up to date information on the University's investments: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/university_investments_2?nocache=incoming-575353#incoming-575353 Link to the research we have conducted into these companies: http://lancasterethicalinvestment.tumblr.com/

  1,359 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Orla McKeon-Carter
• Divest Cornwall

  Watch this brilliant one and half minute film explaining the petition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa8CBI-dltE Further background information: 195 nations have agreed (at COP21 in Paris, December 2015) that to increase global temperatures beyond 2 degrees celsius would be CATASTROPHIC. This means dramaticly cutting our our carbon emissions, and keeping most of the known fossil fuels in the ground - Watch this for the IMPERATIVENESS of the situation: "Do the Math" at http://math.350.org/ bear, and this "Al Gore, Why I am optimistic about Climate Change" at https://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_the_case_for_optimism_on_climate_change for an injection of impetus! Quite apart from the moral imperative to look after the planet that is our home (and that of the children of all species - not just our own!) Fossil fuel investments are losing value, and, according to many analysts, are on the verge of haemoraging. The governor of the Bank Of England has suggested divesting from fossil fuels as a wise financial move, and the Rockefeller foundation - founded upon fossil fuels, recently announced that they are divesting. "The leading argument by financial analysts is that, with emerging regulation to curb global temperature increases and growing competition from low-carbon energy sources, there is a real risk of “stranded assets” and “unburnable carbon”. “Stranded assets“, as coined by the Carbon Tracker Initiative, refers to assets that lose their value or turn into liabilities before the end of their economic life cycle. Such an outcome is expected of much of the world’s fossil fuel reserves, a large percentage of which is said to be unburnable (over 80% of coal, 50% of gas and 30% of oil) if we are to stay within the 2°C globally agreed threshold." From: http://www.blog.clientearth.org/why-pension-fund-trustees-must-consider-climate-risk/ ______ To grasp the seriousness of the climate crisis, you just need to do a little maths: Fossil fuel corporations have 5 times more oil, coal and gas in known reserves than the most conservative climate scientists think is safe to burn. Therefore we have to keep at least 80% of their fossil fuels underground to keep the earth in anything resembling livable shape. Despite this fact, fossil fuel companies continue to explore for more fossil fuels because, with our current economic system, the amount of reserves they have determines their share value. This exploration is potentially devastating for the environments where it occurs - imagine the DeepWater Horizon disaster in the hostile and treacherous seas of the Arctic - a scenario the US government gives a 75% chance of occuring. or the total devastation of Canada's Tar sand fields in Lancashire... By selling off their shares in fossil fuel companies, large institutions, like Cornwall Council, can use their financial clout to prevent such exploration from occurring, and help to keep the "oil in the soil, and the coal in the hole" If you want more detail: at current levels of Carbon dioxide emission, we have less than 15 years before crossing a dangerous threshold (2 degree celsius rise in global temperature) that almost every government in the world has agreed would be unsafe. We humans have already raised the temperature .8°C with the carbon dioxide already emitted, and that has caused far more damage than most scientists expected. A third of summer sea ice in the Arctic is gone, the oceans are 30 percent more acidic, and since warm air holds more water vapor than cold, the climate dice are loaded for both devastating floods and drought. Scientists estimate that humans can pour roughly 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and still have some reasonable hope of staying below two degrees. Computer models calculate that even if we stopped increasing CO2 levels now, the temperature would still rise another 0.8 degrees above the 0.8 we’ve already warmed, which means that we’re already 3/4s of the way to the 2 degree limit. For much greater detail - see the film "Do the Math" at http://math.350.org/

  368 of 400 Signatures

  Created by David SmartKnight
• 

  Divest Imperial from Fossil Fuels

  Climate change has been described as the most serious challenge of our generation. Under the United Nations Copenhagen Accord, countries have agreed to limit warming to 2 degrees to prevent dangerous climate change. Moreover, investing in fossil fuels poses a serious financial risk. According to recent research led by Professor Lord Stern at LSE, two-thirds of current fossil fuels reserves are unburnable if climate change is to be kept to the globally-agreed limit of 2 degrees of warming [3]. In this regard, we call upon the Endowment Fund Board to issue explicit guidance to ensure the funds are divested away from fossil fuels, for the sake of current and future generations. References: [1] FOI Request [2] People & Planet, Platform, 350.org: http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/fossil-free/knowledge-power-report.pdf [3] Carbon Tracker Initiative Report (Carbon Tracker & The Grantham Research Institute, LSE) : http://www.carbontracker.org/wastedcapital

  1,993 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Tara Clarke