360 academics sign an open letter calling Cambridge University Council to fully divest from fossil fuels. Signatories include:
- Professor Sir David King, former UK’s Permanent Special Representative for Climate Change and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government
- Professor Sir Thomas Blundell, former president of the UK Science Council
- Dr Robert McFarlane, multi-awarded author
Cambridge academics, add your name to the open letter here
Cambridge University Council: Divest from Fossil Fuels
We, the undersigned, call on the University Council to commit to full divestment from fossil fuels.
In January 2017, Regent House passed a Grace without opposition calling the University to fully divest from fossil fuels. University Council, in an unprecedented move, approved the Grace but did not follow through with its mandate (1). Instead, Council decided to establish the divestment working group as a placatory gesture, and it now looks set to reject full divestment, simply reaffirming a two year old promise to divest from coal and tar sands (2). This is unacceptable and represents a subversion of democratic structures.
Divestment from fossil fuels, both direct and indirect, would bring investment policy in line with University values, research and mission statement which expresses a commitment to sustainability (3). As a world-leading institution, Cambridge is behind the times on divestment, with many leading UK universities such as Bristol, Durham and Edinburgh having already committed to full divestment (4).
This is also an issue of transparency and accountability. Precious few people seem to have any idea where the University’s money is invested, with Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope recently admitting in an open meeting that even he was in the dark. At the same time, the leak of the Paradise Papers last year revealed that Cambridge has invested tens of millions in offshore funds linked to oil exploration and off-shore drilling. (5)
We support divestment from fossil fuels because it has long been democratically supported by students and staff. Divestment is both necessary and urgent to stigmatise the fossil fuel industry who are most responsible for a warming climate. As detailed in the 2013 Oxford Smith School Report, divestment encourages companies to abandon environmentally abusive business models, and adds pressure to national government to bring about UK policy change (6). Divestment would be in line with the Paris Agreement, aiming to halt global warming of over 2 ̊C. It is also financially prudent, as fossil fuels may soon become stranded assets, and corroborates with Cambridge’s own research across departments warning of the dangers of fossil fuel dependency.
We call on University Council to take all necesary steps to ensure investment transparency with its beneficiaries, students and staff at the University. We also call on the University’s Investment Office to immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuel companies, and to divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within five years. To state explicitly – we are calling for divestment both from direct and indirect funds. We ask the University to then consider how this money can be reinvested more ethically.
Divestment will bring Cambridge’s finances back in line with its ethics and own research, and in doing so make a powerful contribution to the global fight for climate justice.
Signatories
Dr. Thomas Jeffrey Miley | Lecturer of Sociology |
Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni | Senior Lecturer, POLIS |
Dr Dr Markus Gehring | Law |
Robert Macfarlane | Reader in Literature, Faculty of English; Fellow, Emmanuel College |
Michael Hrebeniak | Director of Studies & Senior College Lecturer in English, Wolfson College |
Ricardo Garcia-Mayoral | Lecturer |
Charlotte Payne | Zoology |
Dr Philip Connell | Selwyn College and Faculty of English |
Justin Pearce | Lecturer POLIS / King’s |
Michael Lamb | Professor of Psychology and Fellow at Sidney Sussex College |
Anna Judson | Research Fellow, Gonville & Caius College |
Dr Hugues Azérad | Fellow and College Lecturer, Magdalene/MML Faculty |
Emma Mawdsley | Geography |
Mrs Anna Langley | Computer Officer, University Information Services |
Alice Reid | Churchill College/Department of Geography |
Dr Ruth Abbott | University Lecturer, Faculty of English and St John’s College |
Ananay Aguilar | Research Affiliate (Faculty of Music) |
Charlotte Lemanski | Geography |
Tomas McAuley | Research Associate (Faculty of Music) |
Dr Mia Gray | Senior University Lecturer |
Julia Guarneri | Lecturer, Faculty of History |
Nick Hopwood | Professor of History of Science and Medicine (HPS) |
Isabelle McNeill | College Lecturer, Trinity Hall (MML) |
Jeremy Caddick | Dean, Emmanuel College |
Hakan Sandal | Centre for Gender Studies |
Lena Moore | Centre for Gender Studies, Jesus College |
Kerry Mackereth | Centre for Gender Studies |
Jules Allen | Gender Studies Centre |
Jason Scott-Warren | Faculty of English |
Simon Szreter | Professor of History |
Julia Doyle | Emmanuel, Centre for Gender Studies |
Zoe Svendsen | Lecturer in the English Faculty |
Dr Iris Moeller | Lecturer, Geography |
Ian A. McFarland | Regius Professor of Divinity |
Sebastian Haug | Geography |
C J B Ford | Professor (Physics, Girton) |
John H Arnold | History |
Manali Desai | Lecturer, Department of Sociology |
Sarah Kennedy | Fellow of Downing College / Faculty of English |
Dr Lucy van de Wiel | Research Associate, Department of Sociology, Newnham College |
Alex Campsie | History |
Jane Heal | Emeritus Professor of Philosoophy |
Frisbee Sheffield | Affiliated Lecturer, Faculty of Classics |
Professor Sir Tom Blundell | Professor Emeritus Biochemistry |
Professor Brad Epps | Professor of Spanish, Modern and Medieval Languages; Professorial Fellow, King’s College |
Mary Laven | Professor of Early Modern History (Jesus College, Faculty of History) |
Leo Mellor | English, Murray Edwards |
Rory O’Bryen | Senior Lecturer, Modern and Medieval Languages |
Jeremy Butterfield | Trinity College |
Philip Knox | Lecturer, Faculty of English |
Samuel James | J. H. Plumb College Lecturer in History, Christ’s College |
Martin Lucas-Smith | Computer Officer, Department of Geography |
Monica Moreno Figueroa | Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Dept of Sociology and Fellow Downing College |
Cecilia Brassett | Magdalene College |
Josie O’Donoghue | Clare College |
Anna Barford | Department of Geography, Girton College |
Kevin Chalut | Research Fellow, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute |
Paul Warde | History |
Professor John Danesh | Head, Department of Public Health and Primary Care |
Paul Dominiak | Jesus College, Divinity |
Luna Sabastian | History |
Anne-Laura van Harmelen | Senior research associate |
Benjamin Allanach | Professor DAMTP |
Alison Banwell | Leverhulme fellow, Geography |
Clare Oliver-Williams | Department of Public Health and Primary Care |
Dr Anthony Pickles | Social Anthropology & Wolfson College |
Abigail Brundin | Reader in Early Modern Literature and Culture, Italian |
Duncan Bell | Reader, POLIS |
Christopher Burlinson | Senior College Lecturer (Jesus College) |
Agnes J Fauverge | Webmaster (The Language Centre) |
Dr Alex Liu | University Lecturer, Girton College |
Dr Brendan Burchell | Reader, Department of Sociology & Magdalene College. |
Christina Angelopoulos | Lecturer in Law |
Clive lawson | Cto girton |
David Trippett | Senior University Lecturer, Faculty of Music |
David Sedley | Fellow, Christ’s College |
Adam Boies | Reader, Department of Engineering |
Alexandra Davidson | GPEG, Primary Care Unit |
Manfred K. | Research Associate |
Debora Sijacki | Reader |
Corina Logan | Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Department of Zoology |
Dr Hassan Adan | Research Fellow in Economics |
Huw Price | Faculty of Philosophy & Trinity College |
Ian Roberts | Professor of Linguistics |
Jochem Kroezen | University Lecturer in International Business (Homerton College and Judge Business School) |
Rogier Kievit | Programme Leader Track at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit/Fellow at Fitzwilliam college |
Penny Watson | University Senior Lecturer Veterinary Medicine |
Matthew Danish | Research Associate |
Gilles Degottex | Rsearch Fellow |
Joshua Nall | Curator of Modern Sciences (Whipple Museum / HPS) |
Matthew Skipper | Computer Officer |
Joshua Purcell | IT Systems Engineer, MRC Epidemiology Unit |
Matthew Dunstan | Research Fellow, Clare College |
Remco Heesen | Research Fellow, Faculty of Philosophy and St. Edmund’s College |
Sarah Bull | Wellcome Research Fellow (History and Philosophy of Science) |
Jonathan Kimmitt | Research associate at Computer Laboratory |
Justin Meggitt | Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion, Faculty of Divinity |
Lynn Foot | UIS |
Mark de Rond | Fellow of Darwin College |
Mike Weekes | Wellcome Senior Research Fellow |
Chris Rider | Director, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics |
J H Brackenbury | Emeritus Fellow , Wolfson College |
Paul Humphreys | Functional Analyst (Finance Division) |
Dr Gavin Alexander | Reader (Faculty of English) |
Dr Ian Patterson | Fellow in English, Queens’ College |
Margarita Gleba | ERC Principal Research Associate |
Duncan Hardy | Title A Fellow (Trinity College) |
Pam Pointon | Lecturer, Faculty of Education |
Dr Janet E Tollington | Affiliated lecturer, Faculty of Divinity |
Dr Markus Kuhn | University Senior Lecturer (Department of Computer Science and Technology and Wolfson College) |
Luis Nobre | Medicine, Darwin College |
Jelle van den Ameele | Gurdon Institute |
Richard Fenner | Professor of Engineering Sustainability (Engineering) |
Dr David E. Hanke | Retired Senior Lecturer, Emeritus Fellow & Director of Studies |
Dan Storisteanu | Darwin Fellow |
Paolo Gallipoli | Senior Research Associate – Department of Haematology |
Julius Weitzdoerfer | Affiliated Lecturer & Research Associate (Faculty of Law / CRASSH-CSER) |
Matthew Gandy | Professor of Geography and Fellow of King’s College |
Gina Arnold | Assistant Secretary, Finance & Procurement |
Prof. Neil Mercer | Director of Oracy Cambridge and Life Fellow of Hughes Hall |
Philip Anthony Wigge | Group Leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory |
Koen Steemers | Department of Architecture / Jesus College |
Julienne Obadia | JRF, King’s College |
Yael Navaro | Reader in Social Anthropology |
Dr J G Meeks | Senior Research Associate, Centre of Development Studies |
Lauren Kassell | Department of History and Philosophy of Science / Pembroke College |
Ruth Davis | Life Fellow, Corpus Christi College |
Dr Drew Milne | University Lecturer, Faculty of English |
John Hopkins | Composer-in-residence at Homerton College |
Renaud Gagné | Reader in Classics/Fellow of Pembroke |
Ben Luisi | Dept of Biochemistry |
Justin Bishop | Academic Collaborator, Engineering |
Edmund Tanner | Senior Lecturer |
Dr Alastair J Reid | Life Fellow, Girton College |
Christine Slottved Kimbriel | Senior Painting Conservator |
Stephen Watts | Fellow of Homerton College |
Nicholas Ray | Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College |
Marie Louise Stig Sorensen | Professor (Dept. of Archaeology, Jesus college) |
Stephen Evans | Director of Research |
Waseem Yaqoob | Lecturer in History |
Jane McLarty | Senior Tutor, Wolfson College |
Dr Anne Alexander | Research Associate, CRASSH |
Lauren Milden | Public Health Policy Coordinator, Cambridge Institute of Public Health |
Patrick Keiller | Visiting Professor, Architecture |
David Buscher | Reader |
DEMOSTHENES TAMBAKIS | CTO, Pembroke College & Economics |
Julieta Galante | Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry |
Adam Ledgeway | Professor of Italian and Romance Linguistics, Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages |
Ronald Haynes | University Computer Officer |
Allison Kingsbury | Facilities Manager, Fitzwilliam Museum |
Susanne Hakenbeck | Lecturer, Archaeology |
Sandra Cortijo | PostDoc at SLCU |
David Warren | Computer officer, Engineering Department |
Milica Gasic | University Lecturer |
Dr Jennifer Richens | Post Doc – Gurdon Institute |
Monica Gonzalez | Computer Officer |
Marie-France Moss | Computer Officer Philosophy |
Dr Henriette Willems | Senior Research Associate, ARUK DDI |
Katja Jaeger | PI |
James Barrett | Reader in Medieval Archaeology |
James Allen | Zoology |
Darin Weinberg | Reader in Sociology |
David Hillman | King’s College |
Tony Street | ADR, Divinity |
Dr Matthew Sparkes | Teaching Associate (Department of Sociology) |
Dr. John Young | Senior Research Associate, Department of Physics |
Daniel Thomas | Research Associate |
Stephen Ison | Computer Officer UIS |
Samantha Evans | Research Associate, CUL |
Clément Mouhot | Professor in the Faculty of Mathematics / Fellow at King’s College |
Michael Moriarty | Drapers Professor of French (Peterhouse/Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages) |
Corinna Russell | Emmanuel College |
Valerie Wood | Researcher/ InInstitute of Systems Biology/ Biochemistry |
Elsa Strietman | Retired Lecturer |
William Skylark | Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology |
Vincent Mak | Reader (Cambridge Judge Business School) |
Tristram Riley-Smith | Director of Research, POLIS |
John Liddicoat | Faculty of Law |
William Hale | Assistant Under-Librarian, University Library |
Louise Lafortune | Senior research associate, Institute of Public Health |
Dr William Seabrooke | Affiliated lecturer |
Lucy Delap | History Faculty |
Vince Woodley | Computing Officer, Information Services |
Kathleen M Wheeler | Reader Emeritus, English Faculty and Fellow of Darwin College |
P.D. D’Eath | Retired University Lecturer, DAMTP, Fellow of Wolfson College |
Ross Wilson | Lecturer in Criticism, Faculty of English, and Fellow of Trinity College |
Vita Peacock | Teaching Associate in Social Anthropology at Girton College |
Devon Curtis | Politics and International Studies, Emmanuel College |
Edward Wilson-Lee | Fellow, Sidney Sussex College |
Priyamvada Gopal | English |
David Lane | Emeritus Reader |
Charles Jones | Emeritus Reader in International Relations |
Ana Mosterín | Research Associate, Zoology |
Peggy Watson | Senior Research Fellow, Homerton College, Department of Sociology |
Natasha Tanna | College Lecturer |
Richard Holton | Professor of Philosophy |
Daniel Trocmé-Latter | College Teaching Officer, Homerton College |
Sophie Jackson | Professor, Chemistry |
Chris Sandbrook | Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography |
JeremyGreen | Lecturer Department of Politics and International Studies, Fellow Jesus College |
Emiliano Travieso | History, King’s College |
Ross Cole | Research Fellow, Music |
Christopher Brooke | University Senior Lecturer in Political Theory, POLIS |
Richard E. Turner | Department of Engineering |
Rachel Oliver | Reader in Materials Science |
Moira Gardiner | Clare Hall, Emeritus Fellow |
Sharath Srinivasan | king’s |
Jonathan Wilson | Computer Officer (CIMR) |
Edo Dzafic | Peterhouse, Department of Genetics |
Dr Vanessa Stefanak | Director’s Office Manager- Gurdon Institute |
George Sirinakis | Senior research associate |
Amy Erickson | University Lecturer |
Emma Soneson | Research Assistant |
Pierpaolo Antonello | Reader, Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages |
Luigi Andriani | Lecturer in Italian Language and Linguistics |
Georgina Evana | College Lecturer, St John’s College |
Andrew Zurcher | Queens’ College |
Hester Lees-Jeffries | University Lecturer, Faculty of English |
Ian Willis | Senior Lecturer |
Eleni Mantzari | Research Associate, Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care |
Ella McPherson | Lecturer in Sociology |
Helene Doerflinger | Reserach Associate |
maja spanu | Junior Research Fellow, Politics and International Studies / Homerton College |
Hunter Dukes | Research Fellow, Peterhouse, English |
Dr Sarah Hoare | Research Associate, Department of Public Health and Primary Care |
Alexander Cassidy | History faculty, Emmanuel |
Amy Donovan | Lecturer (Department of Geography), Fellow (Girton College) |
Rachel Holmes | Wolfson College / Faculty of English |
George Roberts | Faculty of History and Trinity College |
Gábor Betegh | Laurence Professor of Ancient Philosphy |
Nora Berend | Faculty of History |
Nicola Lawrence | Imaging Associate |
Helen Oliver | Doctoral Student, Murray Edwards College |
Renaud Morieux | senior lecturer, faculty of history |
Laura McCormick Kilbride | Research Fellow, English Faculty |
Ottavio Croze | Advanced research fellow (physics) |
Dr Mara Polgovsky Ezcurra | Queens’ College |
Romola Davenport | Senior Research Associate (Dept of Geography) |
Mairi Kilkenny | Senior Research Associate / Teaching Fellow |
Cameron Brick | Research Associate (Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics) |
Sir David King | Ex-Master of Downing College |
Max Sternberg | University Lecturer |
Mary Jennings | Senior Member, Wolfson College |
David Nally | Jesus College, Geography |
Paulina Sliwa | Faculty of Philosophy and Sidney Sussex College |
Hugh Hunt | Reader in Engineering Dynamics and Vibration |
Maurice Chiodo | Postdoctoral researcher in mathematics |
Dr Rachael Harris | Clare/AMES |
Marko Hyvonen | Department of Biochemistry |
Noura Wahby | Murray Edwards College |
Joe S. Sanders | Lecturer, Faculty of Education |
Rachel Coleman | University Information Services |
Teije H. Donker | Department of Sociology |
Tobias Müller | POLIS |
Maria Iacovou | Reader, Department of Sociology |
Jana Bacevic | Faculty of Education and Department of Sociology |
Melissa Calaresu | Lecturer, Gonville and Caius College |
Eleanor Blair | Computer Officer, Engineering |
Poppy Cullen | Faculty of History, St Catharine’s College |
Torkel Loman | Department of Biochemistry and the Sainsbury Laboratory |
Martin Kleppmann | Research Associate, Computer Laboratory |
Colin Edwards | Computer Officer, Physics |
Louise Haywood | Reader, Spanish & Portuguese |
Katie Abley | Postdoc |
Christophe Gagne | MML |
Laura Davies | King’s College |
Silke Mentchen | MML |
Dr Amaleena Damlé | Affiliated Lecturer, MML |
Ewan St. John Smith | Corpus Christi / Pharmacology |
Malcolm Guite | Chaplain Girton College |
Simon Beard | Research Associate (Centre for the Study of Existential Risk) |
Nick Evans | JRF in History (Clare) |
Nadia Ayed | Research Assistant, Centre for Family Research |
Jennifer Marchant | Conservator of Antiquities, Fitzwilliam Museum |
Claudia Domenici | MML, Italian |
Arathi Sriprakash | Faculty of Education |
Luke Hawksbee | Sociology Department, King’s College |
Gavin Stevenson | Department of Sociology, Fitzwilliam College |
Mahvish Ahmad | Robinson College |
Tiago Carvalho | HSPS, Wolfson College |
Rhiannon Harries | Research Fellow, Corpus Christi College |
Aoife O’Leary McNeice | Faculty of History, Pembroke |
Giulia Torino | Architecture, King’s College |
John David Rhodes | University Lecturer in Film, Fellow, Corpus Christi |
Robert Pralat | Research & Teaching Associate |
Janani ambikapathy | Jesus college |
Asiya Islam | Sociology, Christ’s College |
Giorgia Busso | Senior Research Associate |
Adriana Pesci | SRA – DAMTP and fellow of King’s Gollege |
Ankur Barua | Faculty of Divinity |
Dr M T J Webber | Reader in Palaeography, Faculty of History; Trinity College |
Susan Larsen | Acting Senior Tutor, Fitzwilliam College |
Anthony Coyne | Senior Research Associate (Chemistry) |
Jane Charlesworth | Department of Genetics |
Sophie Roborgh | Research associate (POLIS, King’s) |
Ali Meghji | Sociology, Robinson College |
Sujit Sivasundaram | Reader, History; Gonville and Caius |
Benji Easlick-Shoolman | Temporary gifts Admin at Girton College |
Katherine Grayson | Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Sidney Sussex College |
Marina Inì | Faculty of History, Girton College |
Ayse Polat | Faculty of History, St John’s College |
Dr Carmen Olmedilla Herrero | MML Faculty |
Seb Falk | Girton College |
Sander van der Linden | Psychology & Churchill |
Dr Rachael Harris | SLTO in Arabic (AMES and Clare) |
Yvonne Nobis | Cambridge University Library |
Mario Aguilera – Bravo | Visiting Scholar at Lauterpacht Centre for International Law |
Mark Carrigan | Post Doc, Faculty of Education |
Pieter van Houten | Senior Lecturer, POLIS; Churchill College |
R Khouri | Research Associate (DPHPC) |
Dr Julie Barrau | University Lecturer in British Medieval History / Fellow of Emmanuel College |
Edward Cavanagh | Research Fellow, Downing College |
Farida El Keiy | Arabic Language Officer |
Haydn Belfield | Academic Project Manager, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk |
Helen Charman | English Faculty / Trinity Hall |
Emily Fitzell | Department of French, Trinity College, Cambridge |
Andrew Marsham | AMES |
Tiffany Page | Department of Sociology |
Maria Noriega-Sanchez | SLTO in MML Faculty. Fellow in Sidney Sussex |
Dr Joanna Bell | Lecturer and Fellow in Law, St John’s College |
Noémie Merleau-Ponty | RA Sociology, Christ College Postdoc affiliate |
Prof Nicolette Zeeman | English and King’s |
Heather Webb | MML Selwyn College |
Thandeka Cochrane | Social Anthropology, Magdalene |
Carolina Alves | Research Fellow and CTO |
Sami Everett | Research Associate |
Julienne Obadia | Junior Research Fellow, King’s College, University of Cambridge |
Samuel Carlshamre | Lector in Arabic, FAMES |
Eileen Nugent | Lecturer, Dept Physics |
Cohl Furey | DAMTP, Trinity Hall |
Floriana Misceo | Research laboratory technician |
Monica Gonzalez | University Information Services |
Adrian Currie | CRASSH, TrinityHall |
Stephen John | History and Philosophy of Science |
Rune Nyrup | Research Associate (HPS, Churchill) |
Laura Koebis | Special Supervisor |
Peter Sutoris | Faculty of Education, Clare Hall |
Maria Harvey | History of Art. Clare College. |
Ben Allanach | Professor of Theoretical Physics, DAMTP |
Joris Witstok | MASt student (Sidney Sussex College) |
Akbir Khan | Computer Science Labs, Sidney Sussex |
Yael Navaro | Reader in Social Anthropology, Fellow of Newnham College |
Lemaire Emeric | Master in Mathematics, Sidney Sussex College |
Michele Mak | PhD Deptartment of Engineering – Sidney Sussex College |
Timothy J. Schmalz | Faculty of History, Sidney Sussex College |
Yvonne Zivkovic | Junior Research Fellow (MML, Lucy Cavendish College) |
Annabel Brett | History / Gonville and Caius |
Beth Romano | Research Associate, DPMMS, Murray Edwards |
Richard Staley | University Lecturer (Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Gonville & Caius College) |
Maria Huete-Ortega | Postdoctoral Research Associate at Plant Sciences Department |
Andrew Davison | Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity and Fellow of Corpus Christi College |
Richard Lupton | Research Associate |
Anna Alexandrova | History and Philosophy of Science, Kings |
Katie Gaddini | Sociology Dept |
Rebecca Flemming | Senior Lecturer in Ancient History (Faculty of Classics and Jesus College) |
Dr Jenny Bavidge | Institute of Continuing Education; Murray Edwards |
Kate Peters | History, Murray Edwards College |
Carleigh Morgan | MML Faculty, Trinity College |
Neil Arnold | Scott Polar Research Institute and St Johns College |
Edmund Birch | Lecturer in French, Churchill College |
Catherine O’Brien | Supervisor |