Committee on Divestment of Fossil Fuels has planned four consultation meetings

Students holding a sign that reads "Fossil Free Queen's"
In February Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change held a visual demonstration at the ARC.

Queen’s students, staff and faculty will be have the opportunity this fall to voice their opinions on whether or not the University should divest its funds from the fossil fuel industry.

The Advisory Committee on Divestment of Fossil Fuels has planned four consultation meetings – one already occurred on July 15 – to gain public feedback.

Based on input from the meetings, the committee will decide whether to bring a motion to the Board of Trustees on divesting from fossil fuels. The motion would propose that Queen’s divest its Pooled Endowment Fund and Pooled Investment Fund from companies that engage in fossil fuel extraction and distribution.

The Board of Trustees, one of the three main governing bodies at Queen’s, is responsible for the financial oversight of the University. Their next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2

Principal Daniel Woolf assembled the Advisory Committee in Dec. 2014, following a formal Expression of Concern lodged by Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC), a Queen’s student group.

The group presented Principal Woolf with a petition containing roughly 500 signatures from students, faculty and alumni requesting the divestment of fossil fuels.

The consultation meetings will allow students to voice their opinions on potential divestment from fossil fuel companies, according to the Gazette press release.

Following the consultation meetings, the Advisory Committee will make recommendations and present them to Principal Woolf in late September.

After review by Woolf, recommendations will then be brought to the Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee. Divestment isn’t currently under consideration for the Queen’s Pension Plan.

Interested parties may request attendance for the consultation meetings — remotely or in-person — via email to divestment@queensu.ca.

Written commentary and submissions will be accepted by email until Sept. 17.

Meeting dates:

  • Wednesday, July 15, 11:30 am–1:30 pm
  • Thursday, July 30, 12:30–3 pm
  • Thursday, Aug. 27, 12:30–3 pm
  • Thursday, Sept. 17, 1–3:30 pm

All meetings will be held in Richardson Hall in Room 340.

Tags

Divestment, Environmental Awareness, Fossil fuel divestment, fossil fuels, QBACC

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