nus directions and engaging students with cop21 and beyond ebbi ferguson - nus wales deputy...

NUS directions and engaging students with COP21 and beyond

Ebbi Ferguson - NUS Wales Deputy President, Ebbi.Ferguson@nus-wales.org.uk

Any questions: Odette Wills, Sustainability Project Officer, Odette.wills@nus.org.uk

Do students care?

• 80% of students want their institution to do more on sustainability

• 60% of students want to learn more about it• 70% of students are concerned about the

effects of climate change• 70 % of students would take a grand less than

average a year if they worked for a company with a strong social and environmental record. 50% would take a cut of three grand.

How are we engaging students?

Making students active change agents…

http://sustainability.nus.org.uk/

How are we engaging students

Making Students’ Unions hubs of sustainability, i.e. COP21 regional leaders

COP21 & Beyond – Divest/Invest

1) Two UK-wide Freedom of Information requests to HE & FE institutions to show size of opportunity :

• Amount invested in fossil fuels• Fossil fuel sector’s investment in our institutions

2) National survey of students and staff, to show demand for divestment, reinvestment and renewables

COP21 & Beyond – Divest/Invest

• Publish the two reports in national media next week. No naming and shaming of individual institutions. Release of FOI data to SUs, trusted relationships

• ASKs to Universities/ colleges:1. Divest–reinvest every penny of endowment

funds invested in fossil fuels companies2. Commitment that new investments will be

fossil-free3. Pledge to join the RE100 (commitment to be

powered by 100% renewable energy)

What will students and SUs be doing?

Student activists around the world have are pushing for their universities to pull their money out of fossil fuels, in one of the fastest growing social justice campaigns of all time.

SUs are hearing this message and passing motions to get their University to divest from fossil fuels i.e. Cardiff University

NUS provides some tools (i.e. FOIs & support) to ENABLE students to make change.

Thank you for listening

Ebbi Ferguson - NUS Wales Deputy President, Ebbi.Ferguson@nus-wales.org.uk

Any questions: Odette Wills, Sustainability Project Officer, Odette.wills@nus.org.uk