VW Fossil Comments
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•€€€€€ As you all know the UMass Divest campaign has expressed their appreciation for this Board’s recently adopted policy on divestment but they continue to advocate for further action, including the immediate full divestment from the top 200 fossil fuels companies by the close of business on April 13, 2016; they also seek the establishment of a Socially Responsible Reinvestment Committee that would include voting members of the Divest UMass campaign, the reinvestment of a minimum of 5% of invested funds into a Financial Cooperative offered by the Working World or into other companies which they believe are better aligned with a socially responsible and sustainable economy, and there are other components of their demands. •€€€€€ The Divest UMass campaign has stated that they don’t believe that our actions to date have demonstrated a full
description
Victor Woolridge fossil fuel divestment comments.
Transcript of VW Fossil Comments
•€€€€€ AsyouallknowtheUMassDivestcampaignhasexpressedtheirappreciationforthisBoard’srecentlyadoptedpolicyondivestmentbuttheycontinuetoadvocateforfurtheraction,includingtheimmediatefulldivestmentfromthetop200fossilfuelscompaniesbythecloseofbusinessonApril13,2016;theyalsoseektheestablishmentofaSociallyResponsibleReinvestmentCommitteethatwouldincludevotingmembersoftheDivestUMasscampaign,thereinvestmentofaminimumof5%ofinvestedfundsintoaFinancialCooperativeofferedbytheWorkingWorldorintoothercompanieswhichtheybelievearebetteralignedwithasociallyresponsibleandsustainableeconomy,andthereareothercomponentsoftheirdemands.•€€€€€ TheDivestUMasscampaignhasstatedthattheydon’tbelievethatouractionstodatehavedemonstratedafull
acknowledgementoftheurgencyofthecrisis,andtheyhaveincreasedtheiractivitiestoincludemorepublicprotests,theproductionanddistributionofvideosandoccupationoftheWhitmoreAdministrativebuildingontheAmherstcampus.•€€€€€ UMasshasalong,deepanddocumentedcommitmenttotheenvironmentandtheuseofitsresourcesinamannerthat’scompatiblewithbeingasociallyresponsibleandsustainablecitizen.AllfivecampuseshavesignedtheAmericanCollege&UniversityPresidents’ClimateCommitmentandintheyearssince,theuniversityhasreduceditscarbonemissionsby17%.Theuniversityhasinvestedsignificantresourcesincapitalimprovementswhichhavebeendesignedandbuilttomaximizethesustainabilityofresources;investmentslikethe
MassachusettsGreenHighPerformanceComputingCenter,thereplacementofUMassDartmouth’sheatandpowersystems,we’veinstitutedasustainabilitycurriculumInitiativeontheAmherstcampusandwe’veenteredinto15separatesolarnetexcessgenerationcontractswith10differentsolardeveloperstotaling50MWofnewsolarcapacity.Whenallofthesearefullyoperationalweexpecttogenerate1.123billionkWhoverthefirst20-yearsoftheirlifewhichwillhelptoavoid28,532metrictonsofCO2inthefirstfullyearofoperation,orapproximately544,300metrictonsofCO2throughtheprojectsupportedbyUMass,andvirtuallyeverynewbuildinghasbeenconstructedinamannersensitivetoenvironmentconcerns.•€€€€€ UMass’effortsincludeacomprehensiveEnergyMasterPlan,
researchgrantsandacademicprogramsrelatedtooffshorewindenergy,certificateprogramsingreenenergyandclimatechange,stormwatermanagement,greeninfrastructure,theacquisitionofhybridbusesresultedina40%reductioninfuelconsumption,installationofelectriccarchargingstations,waterreclamationprojectsandmanyotherconcreteactionswithadirectandimmediateimpactonclimatechange.•€€€€€ LastWednesdaywhenIhadtheopportunitytospeaktoDr.Figueresmyquestionsweren’taboutenvironmentalscienceortheextremelychallengingandlengthyprocessofnegotiationsleadingtotheParisclimateagreement,butabouthowwemakeitrelevantandimportanttoeachglobalcitizentoworktowardtheseclimategoals.Herresponsewasthatweneededtomakeclimatechangeabusinessimperative
throughthedevelopmentofalternativeenergysources.Itwasaboutconstructivecollaborationandde-politicizationofthesubject.ShesaidthatAmerica,CanadaandAustraliawerethecountrieswhopoliticizedthissubjectthemostresultinginpolarizationandinactivityinsolvingtheclimateimperative,whileChinaandotherlessdevelopednationsintuitivelyunderstandtheurgentneedtocreateeconomicmodelsandbusinessesthatpromotedisincentivesforthecontinueduseoffossilfuels.•€€€€€ AlthoughIdon’twanttosuggestthatDr.Figueresdoesn’tsupportdivestmentefforts,herresponsewasinsightful,andIagreewithherthatweneedtourgentlymovefromcontentiousdiscoursetothecreationofpracticaldisruptiveindustriesthatwillquicklychangetheexistingenergyparadigm,andI
hopewecanallworktogethertowardthatend.
