Tonight, Darren will take part in a debate hosted by the Fossil Free – University of Bristol, Friends of the Earth and the Greater Bristol Alliance, in the Will’s Memorial building. He said:
I would like to use this opportunity to add to the voices calling for the University of Bristol to:
- change how its funds are invested, such that investments in fossil fuels can be phased out over the next 5 years, and
- commit to the five pledges laid out in the Fossil Free – University of Bristol campaign: https://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/university-of-bristol-dives…
Having managed the project that saw Bristol become the European Green Capital 2015, I know that Bristol has enormous potential to show leadership in combating climate change. It is already inspiring that the University of Bristol has committed to becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2030, but the University of Bristol can do more than that. Bristol could join with Universities around the world, including the University of Glasgow in the UK, and take an inspiring lead in divesting from fossil fuels. I am pleased to say they would also be joining Bristol City Council in making this pledge.
The University’s Cabot Institute is one of the worlds most respected centres for fundamental research on the risks and uncertainties of our changing climate. The institute hosted an excellent series of talks on climate change over the last few months, that have reminded all of us of the need for bold and decisive action. What a fantastic statement it would make for one of the worlds leading centres in studying the risks associated with climate change to make clear that that risk is not worth paying for, and that if we are to end our dependence on fossil fuels we need to invest now in the technology and infrastructure that will provide us with a safe sustainable future.
In February of this year George Monbiot spoke in the Wills Memorial building on ‘What a green government could do if it really tried’. As the University of Bristol moves from the leadership of Professor Sir Eric Thomas to Professor Hugh Brady, and as Bristol celebrates its status as European Green capital, what better time could there be to ask, what a green university could do if it really tried?
[You can find further details of the report commissioned by Molly Scott Cato here]