Students stage a die-in to protest UCL’s investment in fossil fuels
The protest coincided with the meeting to ratify the new ‘ethical investment policy’.
Last Friday students supporting the campaign Fossil Free UCL hosted a die-in to push for UCL to divest from fossil fuel producers.
The protest began with students holding a red ribbon in the Main Quad. They then silently walked towards the Provost office, where students lay on the floor, simulating the 'death' caused by climate change.
The protest took place as the UCL council met to ratify the implementation of its new Policy for Socially Responsible Investment.
Fossil Free UCL has complained about the lack of student input in the drafting of this policy and its vague timeframe.
The Friday protest was one of the many events they have hosted in the last six years to try and make UCL divest form the fossil fuel industry.
UCL currently still has £1.3 million invested in nine of the 200 largest fossil fuel companies, including Shell and BP.
Fossil Free UCL wants UCL to "Freeze current investments in the toxic fossil fuel industry [and] to be phased out by end of academic year."
The group also want UCL to make a public statement about their commitment to divestment from fossil fuels, and for UCL to be more transparent about their investments.
The Council meeting on Friday was meant to set-out a timeline for divestment and to debate the possibility of retaining investments in non-extractive branches of fossil fuel providers. The results of the meeting are still unknown.
Students held this non-violent protest to remind UCL of their rejection of their investments in the fossil fuel industry.
They demand that UCL sell all the stocks they hold in fossil energy and reinvest the money in accordance with the new Socially Responsible investment policy.
UCL Fossil Free told the London Tab that it "invites all students wishing to stand up against these violations of human and environmental rights and make UCL stand on the right side of history."