Just days after finding out that the board of governors of McGill University rejected their appeal for divestment from fossil fuel investments, angry Divest McGill students invaded the university’s James Administration building for a sit-in on Tuesday.
Divest McGill member Chloé Laflamme said students plan to stay in a solidarity tent camp outside the administration building “until our demands are met.” And she said about nine students had entered the building for a sit-in outside Principal Suzanne Fortier’s office.
And it’s not just a question of McGill acquiescing to their demands for divestment, she said — it’s about the process.
“The procedure they used was not accessible to most people,” Laflamme explained. “We want them to use a more democratic and transparent process for their decision-making.”
Supporters of divestment reacted with outrage last Wednesday to the decision to reject divestment made by the BOG, saying the university had not only dismissed divestment, but had also ruled that “fossil fuel companies’ actions are not harmful to society or the environment.”
The university’s Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) decided that, despite Divest McGill’s presentation of compelling and widely accepted scientific evidence that fossil fuel use has a direct impact on climate change, it sees “no advantage or benefit for McGill to engage in action that would have negligible impact on climate change.”
CAMSR is “unconvinced that grave injurious impact resulting from the activities of the top 200 fossil fuel companies … has occurred at this time.”
The committee did agree that climate change must be addressed and made several recommendations for the Investment Committee to weigh, including looking for investments in renewable energy firms. It also asked university administrators to provide it with an overview of all current sustainability and climate-related activities by May to create a comprehensive climate action plan for the university.
