The divestment debate: a view from energy producers

<p>Over the past year, nearly 30 UK universities have yielded to the pressure of climate activists and considered whether to rid their endowments of fossil fuel-related assets. The anti-fossil fuel camp will tell of the growing number of notable universities that have pledged to divest...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lawrence, F
Format: Journal article
Published: Oxford Institute for Energy Studies 2017
Description
Summary:<p>Over the past year, nearly 30 UK universities have yielded to the pressure of climate activists and considered whether to rid their endowments of fossil fuel-related assets. The anti-fossil fuel camp will tell of the growing number of notable universities that have pledged to divest of such assets, with Glasgow, Sheffi eld, and Warwick among them. However, the lines of success are blurred when you look behind the headlines. Oxford, for example, reportedly divested its £3 billion endowment, when in fact it had committed to avoid investment in coal or oil sands only – both sectors in which it was not invested in the fi rst instance. Not only does this raise the question <em>'What is true divestment?'</em>, but moreover, <em>what are the motives behind the divestment movement</em>? There is little reason to believe that divestment will affect the bottom lines of the companies the activists hope to derail, or that it will produce a tangible solution to the climate challenges they wish to address.</p>