Why FFC

Climate change will worsen asthma, the spread of disease carrying insects, and increase heat-related deaths.  Fossil fuel (oil, coal and gas) companies create pollution, climate change and social injustices such as climate refugees.

The global Fossil Free movement asks organizations to divest from fossil fuels companies.  Divestment means pulling money out of stocks, bonds, and other investment pools and reinvesting that money elsewhere or holding it as cash. Religious institutions, corporations, retirement funds, individuals, and universities invest their money in these pools just like individuals do so that they can make more money over time.

Measurable Results

We divested $200 million dollars in California university endowments from fossil fuels to reinvest in clean energy and socially, environmentally, and economically responsible investments.  

How We Create Change

Your college probably invests millions of dollars of investments in the dirtiest fossil fuel companies.  We can help you find out how much, and pressure your college.  

History has proven that divestment leads to change. Many credit the University of California (UC) for leading the successful divestment campaign in the mid-1980 that released the stronghold of the racist South African Apartheid government.  

See Frequently Asked Questions (Fossil Free UC).

We’re Asking Colleges To Stop, Drop & Roll

• Stop: Immediately stop all new investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies.
• Drop: Over a five year period, drop all remaining investments in these companies.
• Roll: Roll out a reinvestment strategy that takes into account climate risk, and promote the transition to a low-carbon and just economy.

Affiliate Groups

• As You Sow
• CLEAN Coalition
• Responsible Endowments Coalition
• Sustainable Endowments Institute
• Sierra Student Coalition

CA Student Groups

Fossil Free UC (FFUC) is our student coalition that worked since 2012 to push the UC Regents to pass a divestment policy, targeting the UC-wide investment portfolios. 

• Follow our Fossil Free UC campaign on Facebook and Twitter. 
• Follow individual FFUC campuses. 

We also helped students from California State University (CSU) and De Anza, Foothill, Santa Barbara, Butte community colleges. 

Start Your Own FFC 

• Coal Divestment Student Organizing Toolkit
• Reducing California’s Support of and Dependence on Coal - Report, Appendix, Campaign Brief

Our Toolkit

• FFC toolkit: details on how to get organizations to divest, health and social justice impacts of fossil fuels, policy language
• 2010-2014 summary of our work on FFC (highlights: different ways UC, CSU and CCs can divest)
• White Paper on UC Regents Investment in Fossil Fuels, July 2013

Partners

• 350.org
• Energy Action Coalition (now called Powershift)

Funders

• The Wallace Global Fund
• Shugar Magic Foundation