Pledge to divest in fossil fuels

More than 1,200 individuals have signed the petition urging the University to divest from coal investments.  Northwestern University Responsible Endowment Coalition, in conjunction with the Associated Student Government (ASG) released the petition to establish support for a complete divestment from the coal industry. Furthermore, the petition asks that the University continue its commitment to sustainability by channeling future investments toward renewable energy and clean technologies.

The bill also commends the university’s prior divestment from select fossil fuel companies in 2005 and encourages complete divestment from fossil fuel companies as a future goal. The petition, released on February 5th, proposes more environmentally conscious endowment investments and will align with the principles of the Northwestern Strategic Plan.

Sustainability Vice President Mark Silberg, a co-author of the legislation, believes now is the time for Northwestern to take leadership in sustainability, “As a world renowned research institution with an explicit commitment to energy and sustainability, Northwestern is ready to put action behind our words. The immense support we have received from faculty, staff, students, and alumni is not only inspiring, but is also testament to our vision of Northwestern as a global citizen. We look forward to working with our administration and Trustees to implement these measures with little risk to our endowment.”

The public petition is available at bit.ly/NUSustainableEndowment and will circulate until the end of February.