The University has completed its divestment from fossil fuels, marking a significant milestone in its journey to become carbon neutral by 2040. Image Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal have visited the University’s newly named\nEdinburgh Climate Change Institute in recognition of pioneering climate change initiatives: June 2021 Divestment sees the University remove direct and pooled investments in companies involved in the extraction and production of fossil fuels such as coal, tar sands, oil and gas from its portfolio. This action is part of a range of activities the University is undertaking to tackle the climate crisis and the latest step in the University’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040 – ten years earlier than recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Listening to the voices of students was a significant feature of the University’s approach to divestment. The fossil fuel review group which provided the recommendations to the investment committee included student representatives. "By divesting from fossil fuels and choosing to reinvest in more socially and environmentally beneficial causes, the University is proactively supporting society’s transition to clean energy, a smarter use of resources and a more inclusive economy. We hope our actions inspire other organisations to increase their climate ambition in the lead up to the UK hosting COP 26. We are now considering what further action we can take to move beyond divestment and contribute to a zero carbon future." - Dave Gorman, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability, The University of Edinburgh Find out more For the full story visit: https://edin.ac/3aSz4y0 This article was published on 2024-07-01
