CANADA

First university partially divests from fossil fuels

Concordia University in Montreal announced it would be divesting CAD5 million (US$4.4 million) of its endowment fund from fossil fuels to establish a special sustainable investment fund, reports the Vancouver Observer.

The fossil fuel divestment movement has been gaining momentum on campuses across Canada in recent months. At the University of British Columbia, organisers have gathered hundreds of faculty in support of divestment. In Toronto, hundreds of students marched in favour of fossil fuel divestment this past month, and all across the country campaigns are starting, from BC to Saskatchewan and all the way to Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus in Newfoundland.

“The decision by Concordia University is an exciting first step for Canadian universities on the path to divestment from fossil fuels,” said Kelsey Mech, National Director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, the organisation which coordinates student divestment organising across Canada.
Full report on the Vancouver Observer site