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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.
    102 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Zoe MacKenzie Picture
  • 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
    945 of 1,000 Signatures
    Created by Lotta Närhi
  • 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.
    63 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Ethan Crane Picture
  • SAY NO TO FRACKING WAKANDA
    More than 200 different animal species in water died due to fracking in the Zaboa in 2018. Also, over 400 people in the Dizaaza kingdom were diagnose with respiratory related diseases between 2012-2018. These are evidences of the dire negative impact of fracking on human life and the environment.
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    Created by Paul Mutuku Picture
  • Divest Camden
    We believe divestment from fossil fuels to not only be ethical, but also financially prudent. The commitment to maintaining global temperature rise well below 2 degrees, in line with the Paris Agreement, would see much of the current assets of fossil fuel companies becoming stranded- a serious risk to the fund. This has been supported by numerous financial institutions, including the Bank of England. Camden Council has a proud history of divesting from the apartheid regime in South Africa, and has led the way on climate by holding the UK's first Citizens' Assembly. We want Camden to properly honour this heritage by securing a divestment commitment that would resonate on a national scale, rather than undermine our borough's progressive values by providing for the fossil fuel industry a home.
    417 of 500 Signatures
    Created by Susan Poupard
  • Fossil free resolutionen: Test4
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    4 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Rachel Hubbard
  • Coventry University, divest from fossil fuels
    We're all part of institutions that ought to be looking out for the public good, from city and state governments to religious institutions to other kinds of charities and non-profits. Most of these institutions invest money in stocks and bonds, and have a responsibility to divest from an industry that’s destroying our future, and reinvest in solutions to climate change. Even as extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy, floods, droughts and fires threaten to overwhelm local budgets, federal inaction to solve this crisis is all but stalled. We have the solutions, but we won’t see any political progress on the issue until we can weaken the power of the fossil fuel industry. The bottom line is this: divestment is the only moral choice for institutions that care about the planet and its residents. Solving the climate crisis is the only practical choice for governments that care about their solvency. We're asking for these institutions to: 1. Immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuels. 2. Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years.
    26 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Brendan St.John Picture
  • DivestSurrey
    The Surrey Pension Fund now has £145 million invested directly in climate wrecking fossil fuels. The United Nations has recently warned us that we have just 12 years to urgently cut our CO2 emissions or face an eco system melt down. In short we face the most awful consequences if we continue to financially support this industry. Please help us persuade the Surrey pension Fund to remove these investments by signing up to our campaign.
    532 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Steve McDonald
  • We, Members Of Hackney Pension Fund, Demand Hackney Divest From Fossil Fuels
    Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered. Warming in excess of 1.5°C will have catastrophic consequences for millions of people across the planet [1]. In order to have a chance of staying below 2°C, let alone 1.5°C, 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must not be burnt [2]. If we want to keep warming to 1.5°C, we must keep the majority of fossil fuels in the ground. Yet, all available evidence suggests that fossil fuel companies intend to do just the opposite. They are determined to burn all the reserves within their control and look for even more oil, coal and gas. This burning would result in emissions five times larger than what it is deemed to be safe [3]. Hackney Council's Pension Fund currently has £75m invested in some of the biggest of these companies, including BP, Shell, Centrica, Rio Tinto and Exxon Mobil [4]. By investing in the fossil fuel industry, Hackney is attempting to profit from climate breakdown. Hackney Council has a responsibility to ensure its investments are financially sustainable and provide for pensioners for decades to come. Investing in fossil fuels will not do this. Fossil fuel investments are becoming increasingly risky as the cost of extraction rises and increased action on climate threatens to leave oil, coal and gas assets stranded [5]. Furthermore, recent financial studies have shown that divesting from fossil fuels can result in the same if not actually better returns to the pension fund [6]. Simply put, there is no good reason to keep these oily investments. For investors interested in long-term stability, there is no future in fossil fuels. Since 2012, investments equating to almost $8 trillion in assets from over 1,000 institutions have been divested worldwide [7]. These divestments come from the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Southwark, Islington, Lambeth and over 200 MPs from across the political spectrum who have pledged to Divest Parliament, including Hackney MPs Meg Hillier and Diane Abbott [8]. We welcomed Hackney Council’s 2017 commitment to decarbonise its investment portfolio by 50% over six years, but all of the most recent evidence points to the need for urgent and comprehensive action to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019, we stand with Divest Hackney to demand that Hackney Council #DivestTheRest. The momentum is undeniable and for the residents of Hackney, London and the wider UK and world, there is no time to waste. We want 2019 to be the year that Hackney Council finally commits to stop investing millions of pounds of our money in climate breakdown and commits to 100% divestment from planet-wrecking fossil fuels that endanger our future. Hackney Council had declared a Climate Emergency [9]. Now they need to put their money where their mouth is. It's our pension and our future on the line. [1] https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ [2] https://www.carbontracker.org/wasted-capital-and-stranded-assets-press-release/ [3] Ibid. [4] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/updated_fossil_fuel_investments [5] https://www.carbontracker.org/wasted-capital-and-stranded-assets-press-release/ [6] https://www.msci.com/documents/10199/c75b5c93-1f22-4393-aa56-5722891c6445 [7] https://350.org/press-release/landmark-fossil-fuel-divestment-reached/ [8] https://gofossilfree.org/divestment/commitments/ [9] https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/environment/hackney-council-declares-a-climate-emergency-1-5914142
    34 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Gabriel Davalos
  • Divest East Sussex Pension Fund from Fossil Fuels
    Our local authority has a responsibility not to invest local people's funds in outdated, polluting industries, such as fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas), that are damaging the balance of our climate and threatening our way of life. Already, we are seeing a greater frequency of extreme weather events, such as the floods of 2013/14 – the wettest winter in England and Wales since 1776 - which caused severe flooding in East Sussex and exposed our coast to very high storm surges from the sea. Investments in fossil fuels are also financially risky. Global temperature targets agreed by world leaders can only be met if most of the existing fossil fuel reserves remain unburned and we quickly move to cleaner technology. This means that investments in fossil fuel companies could soon become ‘stranded assets’. Indeed, the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has warned that investors face 'potentially huge' losses from climate change action that could make vast reserves of oil, coal and gas 'literally unburnable' For reasons of both public responsibility and financial prudence, a growing number of major institutions across the world - including the cities of Oslo, Seattle, and Oxford, Glasgow University, and the World Council of Churches - have already decided to move their funds out of fossil fuels. Several UK local authorities, including Haringey Council and the South Yorkshire Pension Fund, are now taking similar steps. The East Sussex Pension Fund has an estimated £172 million of local people's pensions invested in fossil fuels. The Fund is administered by East Sussex County Council. On 13 April 2016, Labour and Conservative Councillors on Hastings Borough Council – a member of the Pension Fund - joined forces to pass a unanimous motion calling on East Sussex County Council to divest the Fund from fossil fuels. It's time for East Sussex County Council to divest local people's pensions from these dirty, damaging and financially risky industries.
    5,322 of 6,000 Signatures
    Created by Divest East Sussex