June, 29 2020, 12:00am EDT
GW Commits to Fossil Fuel Divestment
On Monday morning, the George Washington University Board of Trustees announced GW's commitment to fully divest the university endowment from the fossil fuel industry by 2025, achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and further sustainability measures on campus.
WASHINGTON
On Monday morning, the George Washington University Board of Trustees announced GW's commitment to fully divest the university endowment from the fossil fuel industry by 2025, achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and further sustainability measures on campus.
The Sunrise GW leadership team released the following statement in response to the announcement:
"The decision today is a profound victory for the GW community. Eight years ago, GW students launched a campaign to force our university to reckon with the climate crisis and divest from the fossil fuel industry. The climate crisis is an existential threat to humanity, and has been caused not by everyday people, but by a handful of fossil fuel executives who have put their profits over our future. Continued investment in fossil fuel corporations is complicity in their crimes. We commend GW for taking this action, but we want to make clear that this would not have happened without years of student organizing. For too long, the Board of Trustees has ignored and dismissed student voices. We hope that the Board continues to act on issues brought forth by students. Today, we celebrate our victory, and tomorrow we go back to our fight for a livable and just future for all."
Sunrise GW led the successful fossil fuel divestment campaign at George Washington University, is fighting for action on the fossil fuel industry-backed GW Regulatory Studies Center, and is building support for the Green New Deal, the only solution that meets the climate crisis at the scale that science and justice demand.
350 is building a future that's just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of the climate crisis. We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
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