Divestment is a word that not many people know, but it’s a word that matters. Our University has an estimated $120 million invested in the fossil fuel industry, and even in the face of the climate crisis, they refuse to change. Removing these investments, or divesting, would mean a 78% decrease in our financed emissions, a large step toward our goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
As students, we are innovators and leaders who seek education that will take us to the places we want to change. But when our University invests in corporations that are destroying our future while hiding behind its Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, how are we supposed to trust them?
iSEE is a branch of the University that has the sole purpose of making our campus a more sustainable place, yet when it comes to managing our supposedly “sustainable” investments, they have no say. Students also have no say, even in an advisory context. This lack of a voice makes it seem as though the University cares only about the perception of sustainability and not truly being sustainable.
Students for Environmental Concerns and Fossil Free Illinois have been fighting for years to take your tuition money out of an industry that does not care about your well-being or the well-being of your children.
These grassroots movements on campus use the power of protests, social media, the Illinois state caucus and targeted presentations to administrators to make divestment a reality. Currently, both groups are sponsoring an Illinois Student Council referendum that asks students if they believe the University should divest.
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The University has framed this movement as a loud minority instead of viewing divestment as a way to get students passionate about something bigger than themselves.
If we want to be seen as a “Public Ivy,” a top-tier research institution, we need to be the change. Leaders of SECS were told in a meeting with administrators that this University will divest when the trends say it’s a good time, but in the meantime, we will still be investing further into natural gas.
What kind of precedent does that set? Other top-tier universities have already divested, so why not us? Why not Illinois, when the student body is begging the University to divest?
With the federal government restricting funding to national parks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and many more important environmental protections, it is imperative that we as a University strive for a greener future — not just in words, but in financial action.
The University of Illinois System Administration has the power to put us on the right track and students have the power to force their hand. It presents a poor image when a public institution such as ours refuses to listen to the public, but they won’t listen unless we use our voices.
The University’s administration will drag its feet on this movement until the last possible second, but why should we let them?
If you feel strongly that fossil fuels should not fund your education, vote yes to divest on Feb. 25-27 at noon. Vote for candidates who stand for divestment and want to see real changes happen on this campus.
Gabi is a sophomore in ACES.
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