York students launch campaign for UoY to divest from fossil fuels

Despite what people such as Donald Trump might say, we're all pretty confident in the fact that climate change is a legitimate threat facing our planet.

In light of this, students from the YUSU Environment and Ethics Network have come together to campaign to stop York from investing in fossil fuels – the combustion of which is responsible for 87 per cent of all human carbon dioxide emissions.

So far, 61 UK universities have committed to divest from fossil fuels, including our rivals York St John and Lancaster.

The University of York currently invests 6.4 per cent of the total endowment fund, a whopping £656,256, in fossil fuels, despite an ethical investment policy stating:

"The University will not knowingly invest in companies whose activities include practices which directly pose a risk of serious harm to individuals or groups, or whose activities are inconsistent with the mission and values of the University."

The petition currently has over 200 signatures and comes after York has already divested from tobacco.

The students behind the petition told The Tab: "The University has an obligation to its students and the planet to stop investing" and to assure that "committing to divest will not largely impact University income, nor students' experiences".

The campaign is part of a larger, international movement called Fossil Free, who are committed to ending step-by-step, town by town, university by university the "age of fossil fuels" we currently live in.

The campaign website emphasises the importance of taking away the power of the fossil fuel industry to block progress with regards to climate change.

In the words of the students running the campaign, "If York St John and Lancaster can do it, why can't we?"

Find out more or sign the petition here.