Student pressure prompts divestment U-turn

The move to divest from fossil fuels gains momentum

The campaign to promote divestment from fossil fuels, pioneered by faith groups such as the Religious Society of Friends, continues to gain momentum in Britain.

Student campaigners in Scotland claim their actions have convinced the University of Edinburgh to rethink its recent decision not to divest from funds (see the Friend, 22 May).

The university has announced that it ‘is writing to three of the world’s biggest fossil fuel producers to inform them that it intends to fully divest from their activities within the next six months’.

Student campaigners occupied a university management building for more than ten days and have greeted the latest announcement with cautious optimism. While welcoming the decision, they have expressed concern that the university’s commitment to engaging with the companies involved might lead to another U-turn over divestment.

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