3 huge divestments! Charlie Wood – 350.org Australia

Dear Neville,

Did you hear? In the past 24 hours, three major Australian institutions have committed to divest from fossil fuels, joining over 450 institutions worldwide:

• First it was our leading science institution – the Australian Academy of Science – representing 500 of Australia’s foremost scientific minds. [1]
• Then, the 25,000-member-strong National Tertiary Education Union announced that they’ve said goodbye to fossil fuels and are now calling upon other unions, super funds, and universities to join them. [2]
• And to top it off – last night City of Melbourne Councillors vowed to make the City’s investments fossil fuel free, and called on their super fund to follow suit. [3]

Can you help to keep building this inspiring momentum by calling upon your local government to break their ties with the industry driving the climate crisis?

With the Paris climate talks barely a month away, global momentum to divest from coal, oil, and gas has gained incredible speed.

It’s clear that the agreement secured in Paris won’t go far enough to ensure climate justice for all. Until we break the toxic relationship between our politicians and the big polluters, we can expect more failed talks and more broken promises.

And that’s why divestment is so important. The more institutions and individuals move their money out of coal, oil, and gas, the more we take away the fossil fuel industry’s power to control our politicians and pollute our planet.

And we know this strategy is working. The City of Melbourne is the tenth local government in Australia to say no to the fossil fuel industry. They join over fifty governments and 450 institutions worldwide who are putting people and a safe climate ahead of the big polluters and their dirty profits.

Tell your local Government to join the global push to turn fossil fuels off and a safe climate future on!

As more local Governments divest, it sends a powerful message to our Federal Government that it’s time for them to follow. Our movement is building from the bottom up and it’s unstoppable. With a Federal Election around the corner, the powers-that-be in Canberra ignore this movement at their peril.

Let’s do this,

Charlie and Isaac for the 350.org Australia team

—-

References:

[1] Australian Academy of Science Divests from Fossil Fuels, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 27.

[2],[3] City of Melbourne steps up anti-coal push and education union divests, The Australian Financial Review, October 27.

350.org is building a global climate movement.You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a Climate Defender and donate monthly to help 350.org keep Australia’s fossil fuels in the ground.