Fossil Free California

“People of conscience need to break their ties with corporations financing the injustice of climate change.”
-Desmond Tutu

Fossil Free California

 

California universities pride themselves as being leaders of sustainability, and it’s time we held our institutions accountable to this mission and to creating the clean energy future we need. We want to send a strong message to the coal, oil, and gas industries: your time’s up. Fossil Free calls on universities, colleges, pension funds, churches, cities, states, and municipalities to move their investments from the companies most responsible for climate change and many of the social injustices our communities face, and reinvest them in climate solutions that promote a quick transition to a low-carbon and just economy.

The Ask.

Stop. Immediately stop all new investments in the top 200 companies with the largest carbon reserves.

Drop. Over a 5 year period, drop all remaining investments in these companies.

Roll. Roll out a reinvestment plan to align your portfolio with your mission statement, adjust for climate risk, and promote the transition to a low-carbon and just economy.

What Does Divestment Do?

Divestment is a moral and political strategy to expose the reckless business model of the fossil fuel industry that puts our world at risk. It exposes the fossil fuel industry’s influence on our democratic system, its perpetuation of climate change denial, and its continued extraction of hydrocarbons that heat our planet. Divestment calls on citizens to build a powerful climate movement and pressure elected representatives to enact meaningful legislation. The time has come for institutions to take a stand on climate change by divesting.

Furthermore, history has proven that divestment is effective. Many credit the UC for leading the successful South African Apartheid divestment campaign in the mid-1980s, as one of the first major research universities to divest. This action, in conjunction with other divestment campaigns, helped release the stronghold of the racist Apartheid government.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN: A brief history of Fossil Free and CSSC.

Want to get involved?

The question is simple: Is your university built on thousands, even millions of dollars of investments in the dirtiest fossil fuel companies? We have the resources to not only help you find out, but to pressure your university to invest in a cleaner and safer future, and to maintain an endowment that fits their values - socially, environmentally, and economically.

Get Involved: UC

Fossil Free UC is a UC-wide coalition of students that has been working since Fall 2012 to push the UC Regents to pass a divestment policy, targeting the UC-wide investment portfolios. You can find out more by visiting the Fossil Free UC website at fossilfreeuc.org . You can also join the Fossil Free UC Facebook page at facebook.com/FossilFreeUC .

Contact: emily (AT) sustainabilitycoalition.org (campaign director); silver (AT) sustainabilitycoalition.org (media and messaging field organizer); or jake (AT) sustainabilitycoalition.org (actions and coalition building field organizer).

Get Involved: CSU/CC/Private

The CSU campaign has been working on campus-specific campaigns but have also coordinated their efforts with the CSU-wide network. We also have a few community college campuses working on divestment, including De Anza and Foothill colleges, Santa Barbara CC, and Butte CC. Unsure if your campus has a campaign, or want to find out more?

Contact: emily (AT) sustainabilitycoalition.org (campaign director); alyssa (AT) sustainabilitycoalition.org (statewide

 

Our Partners

 

Resources

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: The Fossil Free UC Retreat at SLO Ranch - California Student Sustainability Coalition

  2. Pingback: Divestment / Reinvestment with Bill McKibben and Billy Parish - California Student Sustainability Coalition

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