Divest McGill, a student activist group on campus, held a rally and march for the climate on the afternoon of Sept. 23. They started at the bottom of McTavish Street before leading sign-wielding and chanting students up to the George-Étienne Cartier Monument at Parc Jeanne-Mance. There, the McGill group joined[Read More…]
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Stand with Wet’suwet’en – McGill University’s Need to Divest
Multimedia Editor Noah Vaton attends the event held on December 1st that was hosted by Divest McGill and other organizations. The event was in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en after recent violent arrests have been made on those defending the land from the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. In addition, Divest McGill urges[Read More…]
U of T’s divestment sets a low bar that McGill refuses to reach
On Oct. 27, the University of Toronto (U of T) announced that it would divest from all its direct fossil fuel investments in the next 12 months, with plans to divest from all indirect investments by 2030. It also stated that it will take steps to curb more emissions than[Read More…]
Students march for climate justice and urge McGill to divest
Divest McGill hosted a teach-in on Sept. 24 to encourage McGill students to participate in the annual climate march that occurred downtown later that afternoon. Students gathered at the Y-intersection on campus to listen to several speakers, and then walked to Jeanne-Mance Park with posters and signs in hand. The[Read More…]
McGill divests from fossil fuels, funds new Amazon rainforest campus
Since 2012, Divest McGill has protested McGill’s investment in companies that profit from fossil fuels. The student group has led the charge for climate activism on campus, organizing protests, raising awareness, and gaining the support of the Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU). Their calls for action largely fell on[Read More…]
McGill Senate votes to support divestment from fossil fuels
The McGill University Senate—the governing body responsible for academic policy on campus—approved a motion endorsing divestment from fossil fuels on Sept. 12. Senators also delivered four annual progress reports relevant to academic matters, including an update on the Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law. Determination of[Read More…]
McGill professors debate the effectiveness of fossil fuel divestment
“The research shows that [divestment] does make a difference,” Mikkelson said. “The most comprehensive study [of divestment movements] was done at Oxford, and they looked at other divestment campaigns that didn’t necessarily cripple the industries they were targeting, but what they did do is make a big public impact, and that spurred governments to take action [….] Divestment creates impact by raising awareness, stigmatizing target companies, and influencing legislation.”
Etzion further emphasized the status of divestment as a social rather than economic movement.
“I don’t really perceive [fossil fuel divestment] as a financial tactic,” Etzion said. “It’s about something much bigger than what you invest in, it’s actually a social movement. And the objective of this tactic is to de-legitimize an entire industry. [Universities] are very influential in how the world perceives issues, and [divestment] empowers people to envision a world that is not running on a path to destruction.”
McGill Association of University Teachers votes to divest from fossil fuels
On Nov. 8, the McGill Association of University Teachers’ (MAUT) Council voted unanimously to divest from fossil fuels, moving approximately $500,000 out of its investment portfolios which include holdings in fossil fuel companies. The MAUT also passed a motion by a vote of 13-3 calling on McGill’s Board of Governors[Read More…]
Shutting down campus speakers at McGill won’t help divestment
With this spring’s campaign for divestment behind us and more activism likely to come in the fall, a brief window for critical reflection on the movement is upon us. This past semester’s sit-ins and rallies, spearheaded by groups such as Divest McGill, have largely been respectful and positive displays of[Read More…]
McGill alumni return diplomas following BoG’s decision to not divest
On April 1, Divest McGill held a diploma returning ceremony, during which McGill alumni returned their diplomas to demonstrate their disagreement with the Board of Governors’ (BoG) decision to not divest from fossil fuel companies. The ceremony took place in front of the James Administration Building and began with nine[Read More…]
