The CSA is calling for change.
This afternoon the Central Student Association (CSA) released a statement on Facebook requesting the University of Guelph “freeze” all investments made within the fossil fuel industry, which amount to more than $30 million.
“We, the Central Student Association representing almost 22,000 undergraduate students, demand that the University of Guelph freeze all investments in the fossil fuel industry, that the University fully divest over the next five years, and that it invest in ethical alternatives that are aligned with the University of Guelph’s purported values” The CSA writes.
The CSA condemned the university for their contributions to the destruction of the environment and violations of human rights, saying, “we are ashamed that our University invests in the destruction of our planet.”
They are asking that over the next five years the university cut all ties with the fossil fuel industry and invest completely in ethical alternatives that better align with the schools values.
This comes the day before the university plans on having a Board of Governors meeting.
A full transcript of their letter, originally posted to facebook, is available below:
January 13th, 2020
To: Dr.Franco Vaccarino and the Board of Governors
From: Central Student Association
The University of Guelph is not only a powerful institution rich in knowledge, but it is also a leader in sustainability. In so many ways, the University of Guelph is working to create solutions to several environmental problems.
This is all the more reason that students are shocked and dismayed at the University of Guelph’s more than $30 million invested in the fossil fuel industry. These investments are in direct contradiction to the green and socially responsible image that this University has worked hard to cultivate. This isn’t just about the environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuel extraction, refinement, and pipelines do significant and irreparable harm to the most marginalized people in our society, particularly Indigenous peoples who have been fighting and advocating for their lands since before colonization. Indigenous peoples have always been the stewards of their land and continue to be killed and displaced by the fossil fuel companies. By maintaining its fossil fuel investments, the University of Guelph is complicit in environmental destruction and the violation of human rights. The CSA stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and their struggles around the world.
Educational institutions are supposed to be places where we find solutions to local, national, and international issues, not where we perpetuate them. Laval, Concordia, and UBC are institutions that have committed to divestment. The University of Guelph can also be one of the first institutions to divest and become a global leader in environmental action. At a time where we have no more than 10 years to drastically change our society before an environmental catastrophe, that is an opportunity we cannot afford to ignore. Our planet is burning, billions of human and non-human lives have been destroyed, and water scarcity continues to be one of the most pressing issues of our time. Instead of investing in solutions, we are ashamed that our University invests in the destruction of our planet.
We, the Central Student Association representing almost 22,000 undergraduate students, demand that the University of Guelph freeze all investments in the fossil fuel industry, that the University fully divest over the next five years, and that it invest in ethical alternatives that are aligned with the University of Guelph’s purported values. These investments are fundamentally compromising the integrity of our education system and do not represent the University’s values in any way. It is time to Improve Life by divesting from fossil fuel companies.
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