Divestment

Fossil Fuel Divestment

The UCU nationally has a policy to encourage divestment from fossil fuels, and, in particular to encourage Universities not to invest their investment funds in companies which extract fossil fuels. This was confirmed by a motion at its 2016 Congress. Many UK Universities have agreed to divest, and on 22nd November 2016 The Guardian reported that 43 UK Universities had committed to divesting from fossil fuels. Cambridge is not yet one of them.

The Cambridge University Zero Carbon Society actively campaigns for divestment, and on 22nd November a Discussion was called on a Topic of Concern to consider whether Cambridge should divest.

This has been followed by a campaign to bring a Fifty Member Grace. Jeremy Caddick of Emmanuel College was seeking signatures for this (from those entitled: members of Regent House) until 2nd December 2016. A copy of his Grace can be downloaded here.

Council published the Grace on 11th January, and it was approved on 20th January. Council’s interpretation of this Grace, and the final list of signatories, can be found here. Its response to the Discussion is immediately above on the same page.

(Neither the Cambridge University Zero Carbon Society nor Jeremy Caddick are acting for the UCU above. They are merely acting in a manner which the Cambridge UCU is happy to support.)